


Metamorphosis

by MoonlitMidnight



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Avengers Family, BAMF Darcy Lewis, Baby Mutants, Bucky Barnes's Metal Arm, Domestic Avengers, F/F, F/M, Multi, Mutant Darcy Lewis, Post-Endgame, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Precious Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Precious Peter Parker, Protective Thor (Marvel), Recovery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:00:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28075113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonlitMidnight/pseuds/MoonlitMidnight
Summary: In a Post Thanos world where none of the Avengers died during the final battle, the New Avengers team is trying to navigate super-hero life in the midst of rebuilding the world. On one of their first missions as a full team, they stumble across a sinister plot that leads them right to a familiar face. Are they up for the challenge of saving her and those effected by a new but very real threat?
Relationships: Darcy Lewis & Natasha Romanov, Darcy Lewis & Thor, Darcy Lewis & Wanda Maximoff, James "Bucky" Barnes/Darcy Lewis, Jane Foster & Darcy Lewis & Thor, Laura Kinney & Darcy Lewis, Maria Hill/Sam Wilson, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Comments: 38
Kudos: 168





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all! I have been struggling to keep myself motivated and loving writing like I used to with all that's been going on in my life. I'm taking a short break from posting my current fics to just write for fun and gain some inspiration. I'm in transition, moving from the east to west coast for school during this pandemic and I'm struggling a bit so I wanted to post something fun that I loved. 
> 
> This has been in my documents for like a year, I guess ever since Endgame came out. I was curious to see how they'd incorporate the other marvel heroes into the MCU storyline, and I thought up this idea. I decided to post it after seeing Darcy in the WandaVision tv show trailer the other day.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

The Quinjet landed on a field a few miles outside of an abandoned, rural town in Mexico. It was quiet. The night was dark. Though the moon was high in the sky, it seemed its light almost skipped the little town they were in. No light shined down on them as they exited the jet.

They were all dressed in black. An uncommon occurrence for the most part, but a mandatory part of the mission based on the information gathered before they’d arrived. This mission required the upmost precision and stealth.

First out of the jet was Thor. His long golden locks swayed in the wind as he strutted down the walkway, his new hammer (courtesy of Stark Industries) swinging in his muscly hand.

The Winter Soldier was next. His gun was aimed and ready, his new arm turned to matte mode for stealth’s sake.

Falcon and Spiderman followed after him, both unnaturally stoic and almost unrecognizable in their black suits. The Scarlet Witch followed them and then finally—with a salute back to the pilot of their ship—Captain Marvel.

She pressed the communicator behind her ear. “What’s our status?” She asked.

Black Widow looked down at her Stark pad from the cockpit of the Quinjet, scrutinizing the information they’d gathered over the past few hours from a mixture of drone activity and recorded samples. “The area seems stable. No surges of energy reported in the last seven hours. You should be good, but caution is most definitely advised.” She suggested.

Carol nodded and gave a tense sigh. She had faith in her team but it had been a long time since they’d been out in the field. And never before together.

Unofficially, the world had been on a kind of ‘hiatus’ for the past three years. Super-Villains and Super-Heroes alike had taken a break to recover from the tremendous loss that had been the ‘Blip’. Although half of the universe was restored, it was still hard on everyone. Having to live with the reality that five years of their lives were lost. That five years of their families lives were filled with memories in which they were dead, when in their eyes things had happened just yesterday. It was hard. But they all managed.

It had taken a while for the criminal scene to re-up again. This was the first real Avengers worthy case in a few months. And as much as they didn’t want to be—the Avengers were excited to have something to do. Even if they were walking into such a potentially dangerous situation.

Ten hours ago, a Stark-Tech drone stationed in a medical facility nearly 60 miles away recorded a nearly catastrophic level of sudden electromagnetic energy radiating from this area in particular. The surge had only lasted a total of thirty minutes, but the entire abandoned town had been destroyed with no true explanation. As a result, the Avengers were sent to investigate by the New Accords Council.

They split into groups upon Captain Marvel’s silent signal. Falcon released his wings and grabbed Bucky for an aerial sweep. Spiderman and Thor did a sweep on the West side of the town while The Scarlet Witch and Captain Marvel went about perusing the eastern portion.

The entire town was a mess. A mix of rubble and remains, most of which were years old at least. But as they ventured into the center of the town—where the only remaining building (a hospital) stood— the scanners began to go off. They had been programmed to alert any Avenger to when they were close to an item or area possessing an unnatural amount of electromagnetic energy.

Everyone froze in their places.

Wanda gave Carol a worried look. “Do you think it’s here? Whatever caused the disruption?” She asked quietly.

“I don’t know. But I have a feeling we’re about to find out. Brace yourself.” Carol replied. She clenched her fist. Wanda’s eyes began to glow a hazy red. Her magic danced around her fingers as Carol pried open the hospital doors. Instantly, they both fell back as a wave of the harsh, metallic odor of dried blood and decay escaped the building.

From a few feet away Spiderman gagged. He had to quickly pull up his mask to vomit. His enhanced senses were having a field day with all the horrifyingly familiar scents and sights trickling from the building. Quite literally, as a matter of fact. Carol looked down and at her feet a puddle of dark red blood began to seep from the floors.

“Well..shit.” She pressed the Assemble button behind her communicator. The whirr of the Quinjet stopped as Natasha exited and a few feet away Falcon landed with a slightly dizzy Bucky Barnes. He looked a bit pale from his time in the sky, but he was otherwise unharmed.

Nat stalked over, a concerned look on her face. “What’s wrong?”

“We need extra hands. Just in case. Something big went down here and I don’t want us too far apart until we figure out exactly what.” Carol’s jaw tensed. She was the slightest bit apprehensive to enter with all of her comrades. Whatever created such a massacre was most likely still inside and if it could do _that_ , there was no telling what it could do to them.

Barnes took a hesitant step forward. Natasha gave him a concerned look, which he returned with a reassuring smile. Her hand came out to gently press against his back. Her hand didn’t linger, but she got her point across.

He sniffed the air around the door as he leaned down beside the puddle of blood. Its source being a mangled body that lay a few inches away from the entrance, like its former host had been inches away from freedom but forced away too soon. “By the looks of it, the bodies are about a few hours old. The surge of energy was recorded a few hours ago, right? So that means whatever caused _that_ is most likely responsible for this.”

“This seems like a weapon testing gone wrong. If that’s the case it’s most definitely still in the facility. Which means we need get it out.” Carol said.

“But if it’s a person, they might also still be in the building. And we would be at a major disadvantage attempting to engage them.” Thor surmised in a grave tone of voice. The rest of the team all gave solemn nods.

Carol sighed. “We don’t have a choice. If we linger, whatever or whoever it is could get away. We’ll split up into groups. We need to search this place as fast and efficiently as possible. Whatever information we gather is valuable. Thor, Nat, Bucky: you’re one team. Wanda, Spidey and myself are another. And Falcon, I know you’re probably sick and tired of hearing this but—”

“In close quarters my wings are good for just about shit. I’d be better off as aerial support. I know I know I know.” He gave a roll of his eyes before launching into the air. He was most likely returning to the Quinjet to keep an eye out for any hostile individuals with the help of thermal imaging.

They didn’t waste time entering. Weeks of training kicked in to help them make decisions that were in the best interest of the team as a whole and to their search for the truth in the end. But, no amount of training could have prepared them for the dredges of human depravity. The pits of hell as it were.

xxx

The inside of the hospital was nothing but a series long stark white hallways splattered with blood and bloody handprints. Bodies covered the ground and not an inch of the white floor was spared from the evidence of the massacre. The whole place was right in the vein of ‘ _super-creepy-abandoned-hospital-that no-one-used-but still-somehow-managed-to-be-so-white-it-was-criminal_.’

They all shivered at the images their minds conjured. All the horrible things that could have been going on in this place running through their thoughts. No concrete evidence was found yet, but it wasn’t hard to imagine what the place had been used for.It was small, so after carefully sidestepping the bodies as best as possible and maneuvering through the halls they split into two groups.

One team went into the basement (obviously Thor, Bucky and Natasha because Peter was much too afraid to enter the basement of a scary haunted hospital) while the others surveyed the rest of the hospital.

“If the surge was caused by a weapon, do you think it’s still here? Or did its creators move it?” Bucky questioned. He, Thor and Natasha were warily entering the basement. Bucky’s gun was at attention, as was Natasha’s. They moved in sync, clearing the corners and open rooms for any living assailants. Thor moved behind them, swinging his hammer as he watched with rapt attention, trying to decipher where exactly the weapon could have been held.

“If it’s gone we need to figure out where it is. The electromagnetic surge was enough to level a city easily. And I have a feeling it was just warming up. If someone’s got it wandering around the world right now, we’re fucked until we get our hands on it.” Natasha responded in a gruff tone.

Thor gave a grunt of agreement as he pushed open a bloody door. It opened only a little bit, and was stopped by something hard. From the doorway, the light of several computers could be seen.

“You think that’s the footage room?” Natasha asked.

“There is only one way to find out.” Thor replied, before forcing the door open all the way. A sickening crunch sound resonated through the room as a body was forced against the opposite wall. The god’s strength crushing the decaying skull of some poor idiot between the metal door and concrete wall. Thor winced. “Oops. I apologize to my fallen enemy. I did not intend to desecrate his remains.”

“I’m sure he’ll forgive you big guy.” Nat said with a small smile. She patted Thor’s shoulder as she carefully took a step forward. “Let’s get in and get out before we desecrate any more remains.”

Nat went first. The room was no bigger than a laundry room (it had obviously been the hospital’s laundry room once upon a time) but every wall was covered in monitors. Most of the monitors were either broken or too damaged (seemingly combusted from the inside out) to see much of anything other than carnage. Every room was covered in it, except one room.

It looked to be an elaborate holding cell of some sort, with two very different contraptions inside. One was akin to a metal straight jacket, with a muzzle attached and a leash that kept the prisoner from straying too far from the wall. The other was essentially an industrial plastic box. Clear handcuffs were attached to the far end and probes were sticking out facing the handcuffs to keep the prisoner in place. Both prisoners were no doubt in pain for the majority of their ‘stay’. The sight of such involved methods of ‘damage control’ made Bucky nauseous .

“Maybe the weapon isn’t a machine after all…maybe it’s a person. Or more than one person.” Bucky whispered. He shivered as a familiar fear and discomfort hit the bottom of his stomach. The skin above his left arm twinged.

“If so, there has to be footage of them. The people responsible wouldn’t have left them unattended.” Nat supplied. Both Bucky and Thor nodded in agreement, then set about the arduous task of looking for the tapes.

As it turned out, the budget for the facility was mostly spent on security— not storage. The tapes were under the monitors, in a box that was easily accessible with a few well placed pulls from a metal arm.

There were two columns. One marked with the title X-23 and the other with X-27.

Natasha held the most recent entry of X-27 up to the light. She gave it a once over with a curious gaze. “Should we play it?”

“I think we might have to.” Bucky reluctantly admitted.

“It might give us valuable insight into whatever we’re up against.” Thor admitted. They all shared a troubled look. Bucky had to hold back sudden nausea at the thought of what they would find. They all took a seat reluctantly. Whatever they found would not be quick. They would most likely be a while.

The most recently available was from about two years ago. All of the more recent entries were missing, (which Bucky suspected was the work of X-27 and/or X-23, if they really were people). Natasha pressed play hesitantly.

Almost immediately, the tape began with a shot from the inside of the cell. A woman was locked in the industrial box. Her cuffs looked tight enough to cut her, the probes were on and actively causing her immense pain but no-one payed her any attention. All eyes were too focused on the scene unfolding in the middle of the room.

A metal table had been wheeled inside and for the moment was surrounded by men and women in lab coats. Bucky’s eyes strayed back to the woman. She was wearing an overly large navy blue jumpsuit of some kind. It was littered with cuts and bloodied patches. She looked haggard, though her face was not clearly seen enough to make an I.D.

Suddenly, the sea of white coats parted and the figure on the table was revealed. It was a young girl, around five or so. Her hair was dark and her skin slightly tanned under the bright lights. Two long claws extended from her knuckles. She was under anesthesia—luckily—but clearly the sight of such an enhancement made the older woman sick.

She tried to yell. She fought against her restraints as hard she could to no avail. Green light flicked between her fingers. Her hands twitched as she let out a guttural yell. A metal table went flying, knocking over a number of the ‘doctors’ who’d performed the procedure, surrounded briefly by the same green light that flickered between the woman’s fingers. She looked shocked for a moment, then devastated at the elated looks on the doctors faces. The video ended.

No-one spoke for a few moments. Bucky hesitantly spoke up. “I think we need to see the one directly after this entry, if possible. It could help us determine what we’re up against.”

“You’re right. Natasha, play the next please.” Thor said gravely. Nat obliged, though Bucky could sense the curdling of her blood as the scene opened with the woman, unconscious on an operating table. The little girl was in the cage beside hers, muzzled and practically vibrating with rage. It was unclear exactly what they were doing,but it involved blood transfusions and several other unfamiliar but painful looking procedures. Halfway through the surgery, she woke. Whatever her powers were, they affected the anesthetics. A fact which seemed to only spur the scientists on. Under the harsh light, her gaunt face was clearly visible. Bright blue eyes were opened wide with fear and pain. That green light flickered behind her iris and around her hands. The metal instruments that had been used to probe her went flying. In retaliation, the scientists sent a shock of electricity through the cage of the younger captive.

The anguished cries of the young girl, coupled with the fear, exhaustion and rage in the older girls’ face were the final straw.Natasha shut it off abruptly—or attempted to. She only succeeded in pausing it on a frame of the young woman’s face.

Thor grew pale. Bucky and Natasha shared a worried look. “You ok there big guy?” She asked.

“Rewind the tape 10 seconds and pause.” He demanded quietly. Natasha silently complied and paused so the monitor displayed the pained face of the young gifted woman. His stormy blue eyes grew both weary and sorrowful.

“Do you recognize her Thor?” Bucky questioned. He nearly threw up at the thought of one of Thor’s friends being held captive by these monsters.

“I do…Her name is Darcy. Darcy Lewis. She was my friend.”

xxx

“It’s a mile or two walk from here to the motel. Do you think you can make it?” Darcy asked, glancing down at the bare bleeding feet leaving stains in the grass. Laura looked up at her with a determined stare.

“I’ll be fine. I can heal fast, but you can’t. Will you be alright?”

“Eventually.” Darcy admitted. She shifted to avoid agitated the wound on her stomach, but only managed to choke herself with the collar forced around her neck. She coughed and they paused for a few moments for her to attempt to adjust it. A flash of sympathy burned in Laura’s dark eyes. She didn’t often allow herself display such emotions regularly, but it was clear she was worried. “I’ll be fine until we get there kid. Just keep your eye on the prize—ok?”

Laura nodded. She took Darcy’s hand and they continued on the journey to freedom. Through a patch of forest and onto the side of a road, until they could rest at a motel nearby. They were exhausted, injured and more than a little overwhelmed but they continued to push.

There was no other option.

xxx

Thor still stared at the visage of his lost friend for nearly ten minutes after revealing his connection to her. Nat and Bucky were exchanging worried looks behind his hunched back and trying to coax the god into answering their several concerned questions, but it was of no use. He was transfixed.

Up until the exact moment he wasn’t. With a cry of anguish he shot up from the fold up chair and punched a hole in the wall of the footage room. He avoided destroying the tapes of what appeared to be Darcy’s captivity (for even in an impaired state of mind he knew enough to know not to do something so reckless and childish. Destroying the only evidence of her captivity would prove to be nothing but a waste.)

“Thor, are you sure it’s her? For all we know, the person on those tapes is a clone or her sister.” Bucky cautiously questioned. He knew deep down that his suggestions were bullshit but he pushed on in an attempt to calm Thor’s rage. They all needed to be in the right frame of mind to complete this mission and—most likely—face Thor’s friend and her charge.

  
“Darcy was an only child! And if it is a clone, then that suggests whoever was behind this assignment was given access to her DNA to create such a clone! Those bastards! I’ll kill them for what they’ve done!” Thor roared, his mouth practically foaming. His chest heaving as he paced back and forth like a caged animal to gain a semblance of composure. 

“Alright, take a few deep breaths Thor. Keep your head in the game. We’re still on a dangerous mission in which one slight misstep could mean life or death.” Natasha chastised with a firm hand on Thor’s heaving chest. “Let’s say for the sake of argument that the woman on your friend Darcy. What does that change exactly? If she was the woman on the video, she is capable of creating an electromagnetic surge powerful enough to wipe out a town. The video we watched today indicates that she has only had her powers for two years ,which means she’s most likely unstable and a major liability. No matter her relation to you, she needs to be apprehended.”

Bucky could see that she was attempting to lessen the blow of her words with a softened tone. It wasn’t working. The god only grew more frantic at her words.

“Then remand her to my custody at the Avenger’s compound! If she’s such a powerful being then she can be an asset to the Avengers Initiative. A greater asset than the potential loss that is awaiting the Initiative if I leave it.”

Bucky choked back a surprised gasp. “You’d be willing to leave just to ensure she returns to the compound?”

“Not just her— it is clear she’s attached to the child in her care. Her as well.” Thor stated. He raised his eyebrow in defiance.

“Thor. You can’t just—” Natasha tried.

“I can and I will. She has been most likely kidnapped, held captive andtortured for Norns know how long. She is one of my closest friends. I will not allow you to force me to abandon her.” Thor yelled. It was clear therewas no getting through to him at the moment. Bucky and Natasha shared a look and silently came to an agreement.

“Fine. I can make no promises though. I’ll talk to the Accords council and see what I can do. For now, all any of us can do is finish this mission to the best of our ability.” Natasha replied with a sigh.

Thor nodded and tightened his grip on his hammer. 

They began to make their way out of the footage room and just as Thor’s foot crossed the threshold, the communicators beeped.

“Uhhh guys.” Spiderman’s voice sounded into the comm. “We found something super interesting but kind of mysterious. It’s a tracking device. Apparently for the weapons with the labels: ‘X-23’ and ‘X-27’. Meet us in front of the hospital ASAP.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the love on the first chapter! Here's the second, I hope you enjoy.

Breaking into a shitty motel room wasn’t particularly difficult for a metallokinetic and a girl with adamantium claws. The room was nicer than anything Darcy had access to in years. She sighed as she eased her aching body onto the bed. There was only one, but neither Darcy nor Laura minded. It was better that way in the end, since they’d scarcely spent a moment apart for the past 8 years.

“I can take first watch if you want.” Laura offered as she eased her way into Darcy’s vision. Darcy let out a sigh of relief.

“Thanks kid. I’d appreciate that. I’m gonna take a quick shower, then take a nap ok?” Laura nodded, then popped onto the floor directly in front of the door. Her backpack—much too big for her tiny frame—sat beside her. Her dark eyes were trained on the door. Her aggressive and defensive posture unflinching.

Darcy avoided the mirror as she entered the bathroom. She didn’t waste any time, stripping off the grungy uniform and hopping under the spray of warm water for the first time in 8 years. She couldn’t hold back the tears. Not when all she could feel was an overwhelming mixture of relief and fear. As caked dirt and blood fell into the drain, so did the Darcy that once lived. The one that used to watch sitcoms and bake for fun and dreamed of having a wife or husband one day to raise a hundred babies with.

From here on out a new version _had_ to exist. A new version that had to take over now, the one that was as ruthless and unwavering as _they’d_ wanted her to be.

Darcy owed that to Laura—who’d known nothing other than this but who deserved to.

And to herself—because she’d walked through hell dammit and finally deserved to come out on top.

So, when the water shut off so did the last of Darcy’s feelings. She could not be soft. She could not falter. Her life and that of her charge depended on it.

xxx

“So you’re suggesting that we go after the woman who was most likely responsible for leveling that town?” Spiderman asked. The Avengers stood around a conference table in the back of the Quinjet, all in various states of dress but still 100% focused on the briefing concerning ‘X-27’. They were all giving a dubious look to the picture of the woman Thor claimed was her.

“Yes. She will not be a threat to me. If we can make contact, I can convince her to come with me to the compound. There she and her companion can get the proper care they need.”

“But how exactly are you planning on convincing her? Hug her until she remembers to stop leveling cities?” Wanda questioned with a snarky tone.

“No.” Thor tersely replied. He gripped the table so hard it bent under his strength. “I will remind her of who she really is. I will remind her that she is not alone and now that I’ve found her, I will do everything in my power to keep her safe.”

Sam sighed. “As much as I understand the intentions behind your reasoning man, you have to see why we’re all hesitant to just follow your lead. We don’t know this girl. At least not the way you think you do. We only know that she has enough power in her little body to level a city and get our attention in the worst way. That’s a problem.”

Thor growled. Bucky could see the frustration building on his face. He understood, but could not help but feel an obligation to the team. Their concerns were valid, but so were Thor’s.

The god pulled out the cellphone—which was dwarfed by his large hands—and found his way to the photos. It didn’t take long for him to find a frankly adorable picture of Darcy. She’d been radiant. A stark contrast to the creature she’d been forced to be become. It was a selfie in front a diner, maybe 10 years old at this point. The caption mentioned how this was the spot he and Darcy had first officially met. She was stunning. Bucky could not contain the painful twinging of his heart at the thought of her pain and suffering.

“ _This_ is Darcy. She is my _friend_. She graduated from college with high marks and a political science degree she planned on using to help the world. She has a dry wit, a sharp tongue and a warm personality. She liked to knit sweaters and hats and her glasses were never dirty. She may not be that person to you but she was to me. And I need to do everything in my power to help her.”

The rest of the Avengers looked at the picture with a sadness in their eyes. Darcy had been a bright light. It was clear, even from the picture. But the woman they’d seen was so far from that. She had been molded into a dark creature.

“I’ll send the DNA samples of X-27 to Stark and see if he can find a match for Darcy Lewis. In the meantime I’ll set coordinates to where the tracker is headed. It’s not far from here.”

“I’ll take control of the jet for now. You message Stark.” Carol said. She walked towards the cockpit after Nat gave her a grateful nod. With another nod from Nat, the rest of the Avengers dispersed.

xxx

The tracker came back with coordinates to a motel not ten miles away from the ‘facility’ as they’d taken to calling it. The Quinjet was quiet. Thor, Bucky and Carol sat in a common area, headphones on, all avidly watching the security footage to confirm Darcy’s identity. The results of the DNA test had yet to come back, but Bucky had a suspicion that they would match. Especially after watching the footage over and over again and comparing it to the mental image of Darcy he’d created from Thor’s pictures.

It was hard to think of such a promising young woman’s future being snuffed out by an organization that they had yet to find a concrete name for.

All the files they’d found were either coded or did not specifically name the organization. For all the Avengers knew they were dealing with HYDRA but they’d never know because the only indicator that the notes and reports were connected were the names Jax (who they suspected was the director or at least the beneficiary of the operation) and Transigen Alkali. A name that was unfamiliar to everyone.

But they prepared for the worst, taking time to readjust their gear and recalibrate their weapons so they were ready for any and everything.

“We’re here.” Carol announced through the comms.

Thor shot up from the chair, grabbing his hammer—which he’d placed at his feet. He was at the door first. The others filed after him, their game faces at the ready with Carol bringing up the rear. Natasha swiped a few times and pressed a few buttons before presenting her stark pad to the team. With a few more swipes, stills from the security footage showing only the faces of Darcy Lewis and her young charge, whose name they still did not know.

“The detailed files on X-23 and X-27—otherwise known as Darcy Lewis—were missing from the storage rooms of this facility. So, we don’t know for sure what they are capable of. We only have a small amount of intel gathered and none of it is concrete. But we are certain that they both are highly trained. The younger of the two—labeled X-23—has these.” She swiped right and presented a still of X-23 in motion. It showed the split second before her hand was in the chest of a man twice her size in the hallways leading to the exit of the facility. The ‘claws’ coming out of her knuckles glinted in the bright hospital light.

“And as of now we are unsure of what capabilities X-27—allegedly known as Darcy Lewis—possesses but we can assume she too has been trained.” She presented another still, this time of Darcy in the middle of kicking a guard’s ass. She was in the middle of choking out a security guard with the help ofa bent metal pipe. She wasn’t actually close enough to lay a finger on him, but it was clear by the swirling light around her hands that matched the light around the pipe that she was responsible for the absolutely terrified look on his face. “We suspect she is the one responsible for the surge of electromagnetic energy. Stay vigilant and stay calm. We need to be as careful as possible here.”

They all nodded. A wave of trepidation passed over the team as the door opened.

They were all thinking the same thing.

As much as they loved and appreciated Thor, they could not help but be apprehensive about this. If Darcy was capable of leveling a small town whilst in captivity, what would she do if confronted with a piece of her past, a past she most likely had mixed feelings about?

In the end, no amount of trepidation could have discouraged Thor. He was determined. He led the brigade out of the Quinjet and out into the parking lot of a motel. It was a seedy joint, but quiet. No signs of a woman capable of destroying an entire town.

“Should we split up?” Falcon asked. His eyes nervously scanning the parking lot for signs of activity. 

“Yes, we need to cover as much ground as possible—as quickly as possible.” Carol said. On instinct, they broke off into groups identical to the ones they’d created at the hospital. They didn’t have to wander for long. The office was empty—no manager or attendee in sight—and most of the rooms were empty as well. Except one. The drones went wild as they approached the door. The team locked eyes.

“She’s in there. Thor should take lead. She might come peacefully if she recognizes a familiar face.” Natasha suggested.

“Or she’ll lash out at a familiar face. We have no way of knowing what she’ll do, so we need to have a back up plan. Thor should go first, and the rest of us should stay back. If she gets agitated or any of us think she’ll hurt herself or us we cannot hesitate to sedate her.” Carol said.

“What about the kid? She’s probably not gonna like seeing her only friend being knocked out.” Spiderman questioned.Beside Nat, Bucky hummed in agreement.

“Then we’ll have to sedate her as well. Our objective is to take them in for questioning with as little force as possible.” Carol replied. They all nodded in agreement. They moved into position, some of them hiding or at least concealing themselves. A few appearing non threatening, so as not to spook the young woman.

Thor was the only one left, and after a deep breath he brought a hesitant hand up to the door and knocked.

———

Darcy was on watch when she felt it.

The presence of an unknown large metal object landing nearby. A long time, ago she may have let herself imagine that the object belonged to her rescuers. But she knew better now. It was them. With one growled Spanish word, Laura was packed and ready. She’d been sleeping beside her at the time, but she’d shot up in record time—as she’d learned to do. Her claws slowly exiting from their place between her knuckles as she prepared for a fight. Darcy stood, slowly, carefully and reached out for the door. When her hand grazed the doorknob, a voice she never thought she’d hear again came from behind it.

“Darcy.” It called. It’s timbre low and achingly familiar. Tears came to Darcy’s eyes as she remembered the days that voice had been a comfort. Even planets away he was always a comfort. And even now, after all this time and despite how much she wanted to believe otherwise. She gasped when he spoke again. “Darcy it’s me. Thor. Please, let me in.” He sounded so sad. So desperate.

She wanted to. Desperately. But the paralyzing fear and her experiences over the past several years were pushing her not to listen. _They_ would do anything to get her back. To get them back. To have access to the gifts they’d been born with and the ones had been manufactured for them. She knew that. They could copy his voice or put some sort of drug in the vents to cause hallucinations. To cause her to become vulnerable enough to fall back into their traps.

But Darcy refused to fall back into it. So her mind ran through the logical possibilities.

Thor didn’t need an aircraft. He could fly on his own. Which meant whoever this imposter was didn’t come here alone. She could image the scores of soldiers just waiting for Darcy to fall for their trap and open the door. She scoffed internally. They should have known she’d detect it—they made her the way she was after all.

Darcy found Laura’s dark eyes and commanded quietly: “Get to the roof. I’ll meet you at the first car you find—ok?”

Laura nodded and ran into the bathroom. There was a vent in the ceiling of the bathroom that Darcy knew could hold Laura’s weight. But just to be safe, she closed her eyes and focused her attention on it. Green light sparked around it and strengthened the metal until Laura was safe. When the gate on the outside was opened, Darcy took a deep breath and let go. She would not let them have her again. Never again.

Her eyes sparked green. The door flew off its hinges, pushing the figure who stood in front of it back as well as his companions. With a flick of her fingers, Darcy trapped the man under the door and sent the metal fixings towards the others in the shape of spikes. They all dodged them, but with a few more motions of her hand two of them were handcuffed together.

“Who are you and what do you want?” She growled. Exerting this amount of energy with the collar on was already painful, but she had no choice. She pushed past the pain and forced the restraints tighter when no-one responded.

“I told you Darcy—it’s me, Thor. I know you are scared and unsure but I promise you we are not here to hurt you. Please, let us talk this out.” God, his voice sounded so close to the voice of her former friend. She wanted to give in—desperately—but the sensation of relief made her even more upset. She tightened the door around the figure on the floor and tightened the handcuffs on his companions once again. She expected blood to begin to spill, but whatever gear they had on was powerful.

She glanced at them. 

Darcy recognized one of them—the red haired woman. She was unmistakable as the Black Widow. Once upon a time, she’d been Darcy’s favorite Avenger. The woman she was handcuffed to must have been one of the newer ‘heroes’ apart of the Avengers. 'Newer’ meaning ‘inducted into the Avengers during the time Darcy was held captive’. God, they must have thought she was really stupid. They sent their own agents in with the fake heroes. 

“So this is a rescue mission type deal? That’s cute. But I’ve had it up to here with you guys. I’ve spent eight years waiting for this moment. No amount of hallucinogenics will stop me. No matter what you come up with I’m leaving this hellhole and I’m finishing this.” She lifted the man stuck under the door, wrapping the metal of the door around him to a constricting degree. She could hear his chokes and gasps for breath, but they only spurred her on. Out of the corner of her eye, Darcy saw a flash of red before everything went dark. 

Panic gripped her for a few seconds, but like a blanket of darkness, peace fell over her.

xxx

“Peter! You were supposed to wait!” Thor yelled. He forced the door away from him with effort then and turned on the spiderling with a fierce glare.

“I did wait! Then she nearly killed you and I thought it was a good time to put an end to things! Sorry for having your back Thor—Jesus. Shit sorry— _Odin_. Wait, are you the Norse equivalent of Jesus?!” Peter screeched, his voice cracked as the adrenaline of the close encounter still coursed through him.

Darcy had fallen like a sack of potatoes. Her mostly unconscious figure lay directly where she’d stood, eyes rolled to the back of her head, her limbs occasionally twitching as she fought against the effects of the tranquilizer.

“We need to find the girl before she wakes up. We saw that regular anesthetics don’t hold Darcy down for long. If we loiter she’ll wake up ten times angrier than she was to begin with.” Carol said, a hint of panic creeping into her voice.

“Maybe one of us can take her to the Quintet and keep watch? The girl most likely has enhanced senses. If we wait it out long enough, she’ll follow and we can bring her back with us.” Bucky suggested. He didn’t want to tell anyone of the fact that he—with his own set of enhanced senses—knew she was near and that strategizing out loud in such an open area with a suspect still at large was not normally something he or any smart strategist would do. But they didn’t seem too concerned. They simply nodded.

Bucky moved to pick Darcy up and was making his way to the Quinjet when they heard it. A roar made of nothing but primal rage. The sound of unsheathing metal echoed around the lot, then she was upon them.

She didn’t say a word as she nearly ripped them to shreds. The only reason she’d been unable was because of the fact that they’d been expecting her. She came at Thor first presumably since he’d been the one to upset Darcy. She screamed Spanish obscenities as she lunged at him. Her claws were sharp enough to break even _his_ skin and leave his blood trailing on the concrete as he fought her off. Natasha tried to grab a hold of her, but nearly lost her arm for her efforts. She got only a sizable cut on the inside of her arm. Falcon went next, but he failed as well. Spiderman was smart enough to not even try and as much as Bucky wanted to try his vibranium arm out against whatever her claws were made of, he needed to secure Darcy before she woke.

After checking her pulse, he administered another dose of tranquilizer for safe keeping. To be extra safe, he cuffed her in a new synthetic material developed specifically for metallokinetic suspects. When he had her settled as comfortably as possible in the containment center, he heard Spiderman call out for him.

“Uhhh Bucky—we’re gonna need you over here! She’s really strong—ouch! Jesus!”

He could feel her coming from behind him. She’d cut Thor’s cape off, left a nasty bruise on his face from her foot and would have cut him open if he hadn’t deflected with his hammer. Instead of continuing with her tirade though, she lunged at the man closest to Darcy. He would have tried catching her with his metal arm had Wanda not stepped in.

She used her powers to put the girl to sleep as gently as she was able. A cloud of red magic surrounded her head, and stopping her movements. Carefully, Wanda let the girl drift onto the ground with her magic cradling her. All with one hand. The other was directed towards Darcy.

“I will only be able to keep them asleep for so long. We need to return to the compound and get them to medical so we can fully assess the extent of any possible injuries or chips. I suspect that the collar won’t be easy to get off.” All eyes drifted down to the collar around Darcy’s neck. It was thick and obviously uncomfortable. Made of an unidentifiable material that just looked uncomfortable. The thought of their being another monitor to keep track of her surroundings made them all sick.

They filed into the Quinjet carefully and with an air of exhaustion. Spiderman deposited the girl into the cell beside Darcy, and locked the door as tight as he could. Then they were off, all unsure of the repercussions of what they’d just done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I loved Laura and her entire personality in the movie Logan so we'll be seeing that plus a bit of the iconic Darcy dry humor and snark in her. Can't wait to show more of their personalities and experiences in the coming chapters!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm currently in an airport but I finished this chapter on my first flight and wanted to get it out because I liked it a lot. I hope you enjoy!

“She can do what?!” Tony screeched. The team was in the Medbay awaiting any news about Darcy and her companion. Well—most of them were. Carol, Black Widow, Spiderman and Falcon had gone off to try and appease thecouncil while the others had stripped off uniforms and dutifully waited to hear about Tony’s findings.

“We don’t know for sure but we assume she has enhanced senses and can produce claws made of strong metal similar to vibranium.” Bucky explained.

  
“And why the hell didn’t you send me her DNA sample?” Tony questioned with a raised eyebrow.

“Because we knew she wasn’t going to be found in any records and that most likely any biological matches would be either redacted or erased all together. She was born at that facility Tony. Darcy wasn’t. You did confirm it was Darcy—correct?” Thor questioned.

Tony cleared his throat and nodded. With a swish of a calloused finger over the touchscreen of his Stark pad, two images were cast on the wall. One of Darcy from what appeared to be her facebook from before she was taken and one of her now, unconscious in the Medbay. Her eyes were flickering under her eyelids.

“DNA says it’s an exact match…sort of.”

“What do you mean by sort of?” Bucky asked.

“She’s got some extra…stuff running through her blood right now. Before, she was classified as a non-threat level mutant but now—”

“Wait—she was a mutant?” Thor questioned in nearly a yell. He’d never known of Darcy being a mutant and the lack of information was making himupset. “How did I not know?”

“Well first and foremost the whole Mutant Protection Act that went into effect in the 80’s. And because I guess she didn’t feel it necessary to tell you. She had check ups once a year to ensure her powers weren’t getting to a dangerous level and she’d proven to be a non threat. Only able to move small metal objects like pens, jewelry and components of machinery she was familiar with. That’s why she was able to work for Foster.” Tony hypothesized, his eyes gaining that tiny bit of glimmer that suggested he was intrigued.

“Oh god…Jane. She needs to know. She thought Darcy was dead.” Thor gave a sorrowful and tense sigh.

“I mean…legally she is dead. And she’s…she’s seen some shit Thor.”

“Like what exactly?”

“I suspect the reason the X-Gene is more prevalent in her genetic make up now is because of some sort of experiment conducted by the people she’d been a victim of for all these years. I think they were dealing in genetic mutation recreation. Possibly cloning. I swear that little girl’s powers are familiar looking. And her anger is…terrifyingly familiar too.” It took a few seconds but eventually Tony snapped his fingers with a look of recollection on his face. “Wolverine!”

“Shit…that means this officially has been pushing into X-Men territory.” Bucky exclaimed.

“That actually…isn’t the worst thing ever. Their presence could really help us get a handle on Darcy’s powers instead of keeping her sedated all the time.”Tony said thoughtfully. “Plus, I think one of them could actually keep us safe from her powers if she gets a little bit testy—ya know, considering this entire facility is made of metal and she seems to have a proficiency in manipulating metal.”

All of their eyes widened at the thought of just what she might do to escape with her companion if she felt it was necessary. They’d only just managed to get the compound livable again, there was no tell just how devastating it would be to lose the compound again.

After a few minutes, Tony left to call up Charles Xavier’s school which was—luckily—only in upstate New York. 

——

With Tony gone, Thor let himself slump into the chair nearest the observation window. He was exhausted. Devastated beyond belief. As relieved as he was that Darcy was alive and well for the most part, all of this new information surrounding her time under the thumb of Transigen Alkali made him want to vomit. She'd been through so much, and he could not fathom how she would manage to be a functioning human being again.

Regardless, he’d called Jane to tell her of what he'd learned. She had been in Jakarta for work, but Toni’s generosity ensured she'd be in New York within the next day or so.

He couldn’t even let himself fully feel the excitement at the prospect of seeing Jane again. He was too concerned with Darcy to really think of anything else. She was still asleep, though her companion had been awake for hours now. Sam had gone up to see her a few minute ago, alongside Peter. They were the most objectively friendly of the team, and the least threatening.

With the help of the Stark Pad, Thor pulled up the security footage view of the observation room. He sighed with relief at the steady breaths Darcy took, and the quickly healing bruises on her face. She looked almost peaceful laying in the bright room. That’s all Thor wanted for Darcy, for her to know nothing but peace and happiness. He could not even begin to understand how someone could rip away her happiness, sense of security and well being away because of their own twisted agenda.

She was as skinny as a skeleton now, most likely bearing hundreds of scars on her ailing body. Though she looked calm, her heart rate would intermittently spike. Her brow would stiffen as she fought off her inner turmoil. The nightmarish life she’d been living would no doubt never fully leave her, and would be making an appearance behind her eyelids often.

Before he could stop himself, Thor’s feet led him to the locked door of the observation room. He wanted to be close to his friend. Wanted to feel her presence and know for certain that she was not a figment of his imagination. His hands shook as he pressed his hand to the door, praying that the touch recognition would let him inside. This facility was new to him, so he wasn’t 100% sure what privileges he’d be allowed. This room was usually reserved for either high risk villains who would be a danger in a different holding cell or severely injured avengers in need of monitoring. Thor was not exactly qualified to handle either of them.

But, to his surprise the door popped open easily. It closed behind him with a soft hiss, and the sound proofing chamber’s capabilities started up. He didn’t hear Tony’s concerned call of his name, nor did he heard FRIDAY’s response and the subsequent panic that filled the room as he leaned down to press a hand to Darcy’s forehead.

xxx

“Someone get—someone, _fuck_! She’s trying to trap Thor in that room and incapacitate him, he’s the biggest threat in the room and when he’s down she might have free rein of the facility.” Tony warned into comms on his watch. The like crackled as various members of the team responded, but Tony couldn’t hear the details. He was too busy having a small breakdown.

He left the room for one minute. Literally, one fucking minute, and Thor makes himself vulnerable to attack. He’d just gotten off the phone with Xavier, and with the help of some new information. Namely, that Xavier had somehow been in contact with Darcy’s young companion for the past 4 months through his cerebro program. They’d gotten a quick run down of some Darcy’s abilities from his notes, which was why Tony had been rushing back to the room.

Darcy’s ability to control metal was much more powerful than they’d suspected. Not to mention, she was given abilities through the Transigen Alkali program that even Laura—Darcy’s companion—wasn’t aware of. They had to change their game plan. They didn’t know how long that sedative would last and they didn’t know just what she’d do when she woke up. If she wasn’t awake already. If she wasn’t biding her time to get—wait. Fuck!

“Thor!—“ Tony didn’t even get a chance to open the audio channel to warn the god properly. Darcy’s eyes flew open, their usual blue color twinged with hints of green. Her hand moved to wrap around Thor’s throat, glowing lurid green. Metal caps on his uniform flew into the air and bent to her will, pinning Thor to the wall by his neck.

  
After the shock wore off, Thor melted back into he wall. He was trying to make himself less threatening, trying to appease to the part of Darcy that knew he wouldn’t hurt her. He wanted to reachfor Darcy, but instead held himself back. His voice was soft.

“Hello Darcy. I’m sorry you had to wake up in this place. I couldn’t convince them to let you stay in one of the guest dorms. They claimed it was for your safety,as well as ours. How are you feeling?”

Darcy quirked an eyebrow at him. Her expression screamed disbelief and lack of trust. “I’’m feeling really really **_really_** pissed off. I think you can understand why. What do you want?”Her voice was rough with lack of use, but soft in a way that suggested that she recognized Thor.

“ I just want you safe. You and your friend. I don’t know her name. Regardless, she’s safe down the hall, just so you know. I know you woke up most likely concerned about her. I can take you to her if you would like.” He offered easily. Tony cursed under his breathe, but forced himself not to intervene. Doing so would only make things more difficult.

This would no doubt be a difficult time and a hard transition for Darcy and her little friend. She needed to know that someone was on her side, someone who could protect her if the situation came down to it. And Thor was the perfect candidate.

Even from here, Tony could see the sadness in Thor’s eyes. He was seeing for the first time just how different Darcy looked. From the pictures, she’d previously been a curvy, healthy and lively young woman. But now, she was near emaciated. Her eyes were full of fear and untapped ferocity even in this quiet room.

She gave a shaky sigh. “Is this…is, ” She gulped. “Is this real?”

“Yes Darcy. It is.”

“Tell me something only Thor would know. Tell me something that only we could know, and ifyou make some shit up and claim I don’t remember because of some injury I swear on everything I hold dear that I’ll rip your fucking head off. My memory is clearer now than it’s ever been.”

“I understand. Alright….Do you remember that night during the time I first came to New Mexico, before Selvig and I got drunk when Jane was busy and you were bored. I took you out to the roof and taught you the Asgardian constellations. I told you about our belief that one of those constellations was a gateway to Valhalla, and that one day we might be able to see those we lost again. And you said—

  
“—I said, that that would be scary as fuck if it existed in connection to Earth. Because the idea that loss was 'temporary' and that death was just a transition from one plane of existence to another accessible plane would contradict the entire idea of life. Because no doubt, if humanity found out about the gateway they would want to find it and use it to keep themselves alive forever.” Darcy rattled off, as if though she’d thought of that particular conversation and her response often.

Thor could understand why. That was the first night he truly _saw_ her. Saw past the wall of ‘cute’ she put up to keep the world out. Saw the brilliance in her mind and the way she saw the world. That was the night she became his ThunderSister.

A tear fell down her cheek. And more followed. A harsh sob fell from Darcy’s throat. She dropped her hands ,and the green spark in her eye dissipated. The metal dropped, and so did she. Darcy fell to her knees slowly, her entire body overwhelmed with emotion. Thor followed her down, pulling her into his arms and holding her close.

Tony blacked out the observation windows, and unlocked the door for when they were ready to come out. And he walked away from the room, pretending that he wasn’t also crying after watching the exchange.

——

Before they left the MedBay, Thor briefly left to find Darcy proper clothes. Natasha had provided a few of her own clothes, as well as Wanda so she had a selection to pick from.

  
She picked an oversized sweatshirt (the one item Thor had brought of his own, just in case) and a pair of Nat’s yoga pants. No shoes, because she’d insisted.

As they walked down the hallway towards the room Laura—Darcy had admitted the child’s name to Thor shortly after the clothes were brought—was located.

“May I ask why you don’t like shoes?” Thor quietly questioned.

Darcy cleared her throat, a blush beginning to creep up her neck toher cheeks. “I like to feel the metal under my feet. It helps, when I’m fighting. Gives me more options. I know I won’t have to fight but if Ido I want to be ready.” She hesitantly explained.

“I understand…has it always been like that? Your connection to metal? When I knew you last, I didn’t even know you were a mutant.”

At the word mutant, Darcy blanched the slightest bit. She’d never intended on him finding out, because at the time she’d been afraid her revealing her minuscule powers would mean he’d ask her to fight alongside him. She’d been more of a peaceful protest kind of girl, even when the Destroyer wascoming to ransack her town.

“It’s been in varying degrees over the years. I don’t think I ever would have been able to get to this level of awareness had it not been for my…time away.” She explained.

“How far does your awareness go? What can you sense now?” He asked curiously. He was genuinely intrigued by her gifts and wanted to know as much as he could. He’d never imagined his little Darcy becoming the fierce warrior she was today. And now he wondered, how much of that skill was based off of her mutation and how much was learned behavior?

“I can sense metal for about 20 miles away from me, but I can’t access it unless I’ve been to that place before and know exactly what the item or building or whatever I’m trying to access looks like. If I have the image I can usually control it and bend it to my will.” She explained.

Thor let out a whistle. “That’s astonishing Darcy. Your gifts are magnificent—oh! We’re here. She’s inside now. This little light means she’snot alone, so one of my fellow Avengers must be inside.” 

Darcy’s breath ceasedfor a moment. Fear welled up in her. “Are they hurting her?!” She asked.

“No! At most, Sam might be annoying her with anecdotes he thinks suitable for children her age—I suspect she is very much wise beyond her years—but none of us would hurt her. Or you for that matter. And if anyone tries to, they’ll have to go through me first.”

Darcy scoffed instinctually. “Even your fellow Avengers?”

“Especially them. They are strong warriors, and as such strong threats.” He said solemnly.

She didn’t respond to his words, instead staying purposefully silent to ponder on them. It was still an adjustment, trying to reconcile her experiences over the past 8 years with her reality now. She was with Thor and she was safe, but the collar around her neck and the cold fear that stoked through her veins told her otherwise.

Thor pressed a button on the door and it opened easily.

  
Darcy rushed past Thor, eager to see Laura with her own eyes and make sure that she was alright.

She was in the corner, cautiously watching a Disney movie with a woman Darcy recognized from the motel, but not from before. The girl was dressed in pajamas stereotypical for achild her age, and it was unsettling to see. But comforting all the same, because this was why she was _supposed_ to look like. This was what she would have looked like had she not been dealt the hand she’d been dealt.

Darcy was on guard at the sight of this new woman instantly, but Thor’s lack of reaction calmed her the tiniest bit.

“Ah! Carol! I didn’t think you would be there just yet. How have things been going? Have you been enjoying yourself young one?” He asked, his attention turned towards Laura.

She was obviously still unsure and suspiciousof nearly everyone and every thing around her, but when she spotted Darcy and saw her mostly calm demeanor she refrained from attacking anyone. Which was a start. 

In response to his question, she gave a shrug that earned her a hearty laugh from Thor. “I appreciate the honesty dear one, it has been a rough journey but we are here to help you transition as smoothly as we can. You finish your movie, and Darcy and I will be back. Yes?”

At the mention of Darcy’s departure, Laura stood up—a hidden fear only Darcy could see lingering in her eyes. She reached for the girl and took her hand. They locked eyes. “I’ll be ok.” She whispered in Spanish. “Thor wouldn’t hurt me or you. And neither will his friends. Remember the big blonde guy I told you about? The one that could fly and who I tasered the first time we met?” Laura nodded. It was hard not to remember surely. Darcy had kept herself relatively sane by recounting her fondest memories of her friends with Laura as she grew older. Despite their captivity, she didn’t want to completely forget about or ignore her old life so she’d kept it alive in the form of bed time, and sometimes comfort stories for Laura.

“That’s Thor. My Thor. He wants to help us. I don’t know how, but I trust him. Idon’t expect you to trust him just yet, but I hope you can trust me enough to know I wouldn’t do anything that put you in jeopardy.” She reached up and took Laura’s face in her hands. An intimate affection she didn’t often indulge in, but she felt it necessary in this moment.

Tears filled Laura’s eyes, but not one dared to fall. She nodded. “I trust you. Don’t be gone too long ok?”

  
“I won’t. I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have this personal headcanon that Carol can get kids to trust her easily because of her time as a surrogate mother to Monica. Also because she's a badass and kids love badasses who can glow. Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I hope you all are doing well. I missed this fic, and finally have some time to write it thank God. I watched the first 2 episodes of WandaVision and that helped boost my inspiration a lot. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

The first few days of their stay in the Compound, Darcy and Laura barely left the room they’d been—for all intents and purposes—gifted. Within 24 hours of them arriving, the health panel came back and they were given a clean bill of health. Darcy had no family to speak of—her mother had passed of cancer when she was young and she’d never known her father. They couldn’t find a match for Laura, outside of the man whose hero moniker was Wolverine. They were in the process of running Darcy’s DNA against some well-known mutants just to be safe, as well as Avengers.

Tony doubted anything substantial would come from it, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Especially in this case.

So, instead of turning them out onto the streets and hoping for the best Tony developed a proposal and came to present it in person because why the hell not.

Darcy was perched on the edge of Laura’s Med-bay bed, her eyes wide and uncertain. She was in civilian clothing, as was Laura but the clothes were dull and lifeless. Not matching the personality of either of them —though their _true_ personalities were still unknown to most in the Compound.

What made it even more obvious that they weren’t as comfortable as they could be, was the hefty collar wrapped around Darcy’s neck. 

Thor was in a chair beside the bed, also in his civies. He’d been at her side since the moment she came into the Compound, and it was adorable. He looked like an oversized and overprotective golden retriever.

As he stepped forward, and the small talk associated with greetings ceased, Tony was trying to give off the air of confidence he was known for. But something about this woman and this situation made him falter.

It was always like that with mutants. On the rare occasion that the x-men crossed paths with the Avengers, Tony was hardly as upfront and personable as he normally was. Maybe it was the nature of their gifts, the variety in them, and the frequency with which mutants were able to read and control the minds of any and everyone. Or maybe it was the fact that they were all so goddamn _powerful_. Even the most mundane seeming mutation could be trained up to be something devastating.

Regardless, his smile was warm and his excitement was palpable.

“So, first thing’s first, after some intense research I was able to make a little doo-dad that can take that gross thing off your neck.If you wouldn’t mind.”He reached out slowly, giving enough time for both Darcy to say no if she didn’t want him coming close to her, and for Laura to see exactly what he was doing so there would be no misinterpretations or upsets.

To his surprise, she practically leaned into the touch. A relieved sigh fell from her lips that was equal parts devastating and satisfying to hear.

When the metal fell away to reveal the bruised and scarred skin underneath, Tony grew nauseous.

Her neck was…awful. It was clear she’d had that thing on for way too long. The skin that had touched the metal was so purpled and so bruised it was disconcerting. They must have gone through several versions of the collar once her powers grew stronger because there were scars from differently shaped collars all over her neck. They'd fade in time, but they’d never fully go away.

Darcy took in a deep breath the second the cold metal fell to the ground, and it looked like it pained her. But when she opened her eyes again there was a cold fury and satisfaction in them. She lifted her hands and green light flickered around them. She didn’t even have to look down to find the collar, it seemed to lift on its own and find _her._ It came to rest in between her hands floating in the air in a spiral.

Thor was watching closely, with admiration shining in his eyes.

There was no doubt in Tony’s mind that Darcy was skilled in her own power.

She’d had much experience with it, and was really just scratching the surface with her display of power and he looked forward to seeing more. That collar had dampened her power substantially. Now that she was free, it would be a journey to see what her real potential was. But that was for later.

The scientist in him wanted to analyze just how she was managing to do such a thing right this second, but the human in him recognized how troublesome that could be.

He wanted Darcy and her friend to feel comfortable here.

“Did you have any plans to look at this thing? I really wanna destroy it but I don’t want to bust up your plans.” Darcy asked.

“I was curious to see if I could reverse whatever drug dampens your powers. If we encounter these guys again, I want to be able to keep other mutants safe.”

Darcy gave a small smile, something genuine and relieved. Tony could tell he’d just won a good amount of brownie points from his response.

“That’s fine. Here, I’ll make it a bit easier for you.” She flicked her wrist and motioned upwards with her point and middle finger. (Tony noticed that the little gesture was a staple in her power usage). Four syringes came out of the sides and landed on the table beside the hospital bed. Then she put the collar beside them.

“Thanks a bunch! I’ll keep you updated on my progress. But, now that that’s done I have a few more things to say. I know you just got settled in this room but I thought it’d be better if you and the kiddo get set up somewhere that’s more…homey. I can offer you a two-bedroom apartment in the new Complex on the Compound’s property. It’s super new, and not many people live there yet but it’s free of charge for all Avengers and Avengers affiliated individuals. Which means you. You interested?”

Darcy’s mouth hung open for a few moments. Shock ran through her system and she was struggling to comprehend the kindness she was receiving.

“I—You’re serious?” She asked quietly. Her tone disbelieving.

“Yep. You’re a friend of a friend, therefore you’re now my friend and I treat my friends like my family so….I guess you're family now kid." He paused a moment to see if she'd respond. When the shock kept her from speaking, he simply shrugged and placed a silver Stark Phone into her lap. "I’m gonna assume you’re in, so I’ll drop this off and you can get everything all set up. I bet I’ve overwhelmed you enough so I’ll head out. My number’s in here if you need anything.”

He gave a shitty salute before leaving the room.

xxx

Darcy sat in shocked silence for a full 5 minutes before Laura broke her out of it. She peered over Darcy’s shoulder to get a better look at the contraption in her hands.

“What is that?” She asked, her slight accent making Darcy’s heart swell.

“It’s…it’s a phone.I don’t know what the hell is on it, but I think it has something to do with our new….living arrangements???” She questioned to no-one in particular.

Thor leaned close, and it took Darcy a considerable amount of effort to keep from flinching. “May I see it? I am quite familiar with Stark’s electronic gifts, so maybe I can get you started.” He said.

Darcy gave a shrug and handed it over.

Her heart was pounding. The shock was wearing off, and excitement was filling her. So much so that she was trembling. Thor fiddled with the phone for a few seconds, then gave a quick chuckle.

“Here you are, Darcy. I think this is for you.”

She took the phone back cautiously, but quickly let a giggle fall from her lips—the first giggle in nearly 9 years.A message was coded to pop up when she entered the internet tab. It was simple and kind of adorable. 

It read:

_‘Hiya Darcy! Here’s your new toy. Before you get lost in a spiral of funny internet videos, I bookmarked some catalogs for the decor and furniture department of Stark Industries. The departments are on StandBy so make some choices and they’ll be in your new place within the hour. If you want to take a look at the place, you can stop by. Thor knows where it is. The key is this phone, even though I guess you don’t need a key cause hand-wavy mutant shit. Anyway, have fun!’_

Darcy let out another laugh and forced herself to put the phone down for a second. The number of things she was feeling was overwhelming, but just as her thoughts began to swirl in a dangerous and familiar dance that led to nothing but trouble, Laura took her hand. Despite all that she was capable of, Laura's hands were soft. 

“Can I see?”

“Yeah sure. If you see anything you like tell me. I’ll figure out how to …add it to the cart? Then we can put it in our…new place.” That phrase would take some getting used to.

Laura nodded, and eagerly looked down at the device, scrolling through the options on the screen. She was enraptured with the beautiful things on her screen, and picked several pieces of decor—with Darcy and Thor’s guidance—that would work well in her…room. It felt weird to say and to think even because for so long none of this seemed to be a possibility. But now it was, and Darcy wasn’t sure what to do with that information.

She watched as Laura picked things, then took back over and picked a few things for herself. When the confirmation of their new items was sent via email, Darcy took in a deep breath.

“I can take you to see your apartment if you’d like? I know where it is.” Thor offered quietly, his tone slightly unsure.

“I’d like that a lot actually. Give me a few seconds, then we can head out.” Luckily, he seemed to understand the silent plea in her too-wide eyes.He moved to wait outside easily, without hesitation.

When he was gone and Darcy could breathe a bit easier, she plopped down to the nearest plush space and let out a shaky sigh. Laura was at her side in seconds.

“Why are you crying? Aren’t you happy that we get to pick out pretty things and stay in this nice place until Mr. Stark tells us to leave?”

“I’m happy kiddo I just, don’t know what to do with all that happiness so I have to cry.” She tried to explain because truthfully she’d not felt so happy in a long time. Maybe even ever. Though she hadn’t had a horrible childhood, it had been far from peaceful. Her time with Jane had been the furthest thing from unpleasant since her Mom died,but soon after she met Jane the snag of a certain god and his various enemies had brought her newfound happiness plummeting down to reality.

“I’ve seen you cry for so many other reasons, but I’ve never seen you cry out of happiness before,” Laura commented, her tone confused.

“I know kiddo.” Darcy reached over and caressed the side of Laura’s face in a gentle gesture of comfort. The girl leaned into it.

“I think we’re gonna be ok Darcy. I really think so.” Laura whispered, pressing a kiss to Darcy’s cheek. It was such a sweet gesture, and uncommon. Darcy smiled wider.

“Me too kid. Me too.”

xxx

They met Thor out in the hall shortly after finishing up their conversation. Darcy tried her hardest not to look as awkward and unsure as she felt, but the concerned look on Thor’s face proved she was failing miserably.

There hadn’t often been time for emotions before this—so Darcy felt woefully out of her wheelhouse. As much as she appreciated the ability to have this in a safe space, she hated how vulnerable these tears and confusing feelings made her. So she pushed them to the side and gave Thor her best version of a smile (which at this present moment was more of a smirk than anything) as they stepped out.

He was waiting patiently and when he finally saw them, his eyes lit up and a bright smile filled his face.

“Are we ready?” He asked gently. Though he wasn’t saying anything, it was clear that he was slightly concerned over the redness of her eyes.

“Yeah, I think we are,” Darcy replied. 

The Avenger’s Compound property was so large now, that there was a shuttle to take people from point A to B. They caught one right outside the main compound building.

Some poor young intern was stuck with the task of carting them around the place. She was barely 20, but she handled the situation well enough and only stumbled over her words a few times when he asked for a few fun facts about the buildings they passed.

  
The apartment building looked stunning from the outside. It was modern, but not overly so. It was tall, but there were no cars in the parking lot which meant it was empty. Laura looked up at the space, wonder in her eyes.

Darcy hadn’t thought about it before this very moment, but this would be Laura’s first time seeing a building that wasn’t familiar to her. There had been a handful of times wherein they’d been allowed outside of the little hospital, and even then that had been a long time ago when Laura had been much younger. There was a good chance that she didn’t even remember what the outside of the hospital looked like until they escaped.

They were let off the shuttle and made their way up to the front door of the building. It was secure with a fingerprint system seemingly, though the contraption that would have processed the prints had an addition that could be for a few other things.

“How are we gonna get in?” Laura asked.

“Just put the phone Stark up to the lock. It works on all of the general locks in the building—the elevator, the fitness room, the lounge— things of that nature. And it works on your personal door as well. Try it!”

Darcy quirked an eyebrow at his statement. It was ironic how skeptical she was now of technology she wasn’t familiar with, when long ago she would have been fawning over this thing like it was the world’s greatest toy or something. Now, her entire focus was on ensuring she and Laura—mostly Laura’s—safety.

But in order to do that, she had to go through the process of trial and error. This was a safe environment,the safest she could possibly ask for really. Thor was here and he wouldn’t let anything happen to her, the entire building was made of metal, and the staff was used to seeing superheroes running around making shit fly around.

And, in the absolute worst-case scenario, if anything were to go wrong she’d be able to handle it pretty well in this place. So with a shaky intake of breath, Darcy plucked the phone out of the back of her jeans and brought it up to the processor. The pleasant little beep and flash of green proved Thor’s words to be true.

The door unlocked, and hesitantly Darcy took the first step inside.

The inside was just as nice, maybe even nicer than the outside. It was once again on the modern side but not too much so. It was warm and inviting. There was one person at the desk, and he gave a smile when he spotted Darcy, Thor, and Laura.

“Hello, Miss Lewis! I’m honored to welcome you to the very first Stark Industries Apartment complex! If you need anything, feel free to give us a call. Some of the items you ordered have already arrived, so if you see some boxes don’t be alarmed. Here’s the card of the front office.” He handed over a sleek white card. “My name is Joe—Have a good day!”

Darcy gave a small salute. “Thanks.” She quietly replied.

xxx

The elevator was close, and the ride was smooth. As Thor said, her phone worked as a key to the elevator which meant no-one could enter the levels of the building that led to the apartments which was a relief.They got off on the 4th floor and walked down to the 29th room. Again, the phone was the access key but as Thor opened the door for Darcy and guided her inside, a thump startled them all.

Laura was on the attack in an instant, her claws pushing out with a loud sound and a growl building in the back of her throat.

Darcy reached for the metal handle on the door and twisted it into a sharp shape. She wielded it like she would a knife, and pushed further into the room.

Muffled curses and the clanging of pots and pans against each other echoed round the room. Darcy didn’t even get a chance to enjoy the decor or notice the additions of the things she and Laura had picked out earlier, her entire focus was on the intruder. She’d gotten complacent, too comfortable. She’d forgotten how much trouble she was in now. Technically, she was a fugitive of sorts. And it should come as no surprise for there to be people coming after her, especially now that she had her own base of operations.

But when Thor flicked on the light and snatched the nearest throwable object the person standing in the kitchen was not who Darcy expected.

“Jane?”Thor questioned, confusion clear in his face.

Jane spun around, her eyes wide as she hadn’t expected to see anyone so soon after Tony let her in. She was fresh off a plane, her bags still sitting unpacked in the living room but her first priority after finding out that Darcy was 1. Alive 2.surrogate mother of sorts 3. coming to live here—was to make food. She was the farthest thing from a talented chef, but food had been Darcy’s love language once upon a time. So much had changed in the time she’d been gone, and this was the only way Jane knew how to show her love.

She jumped back in fear. There was a tall stack of pots and pan—clearly freshly opened—to the right of the counter. But the stack was not going to stay a stack for very long. She knocked into it in her startled state, and as if in slow motion the pots and pans began to fall. Jane tried to catch them, but she couldn’t. Right before they hit the ground, Darcy reached for them.

They froze mid-air, caught in swirls of green light. With a swish of her wrist, Darcy moved them back onto the counter in a safer space. Then looked over atJane. 

She gave a stiff chuckle. “I thought I was the clumsy one.”

Jane chuckled in reply, but at the sound of Darcy's voice, she began to break down. She'd been so scared of this being a false alarm. 8 years, she'd been without her friend and worried nearly to death about her. But she was here now, and though there would undoubtedly be challenges ahead, she'd endure them for Darcy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jane is here and Darcy now has a place to live which Is wonderful. We'll be meeting some of the other tenants of the complex soon I think. Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! I hope you're doing well! My college roommates gave me Covid so I'm probably gonna have more time to write in quarantine which is fun and a nice distraction from my violent thoughts towards them. I, of course, watched WandaVision on Friday and was so happy to see someone very special in it! I love the show and can't wait for more. We're not gonna touch the plot of that in this story I don't think, but it's a slight possibility because that might be fun. I don't know just yet, but regardless I hope you enjoy!

They settled into a dinner of chili, cornbread, and pancakes for dessert—a weird concoction Darcy had come to love during her college years.

Jane made it just the way she liked—with the cornbread nice and fluffy and the pancakes a tiny bit crunchy. The chili was savory and perfectly cooked.

One of the orders Darcy had put in was for a beautiful rustic wood dining table. It was a perfect size, not too big not too small. Thor and Laura moved the table while Darcy and Jane moved dinner into the serving dishes Darcy had also seen on the Stark Industries site.

Dinner was quiet but pleasant. There was much left unsaid, but for the sake of peace and tranquility Jane didn’t say a word, nor did Thor. Laura ate her body weight in food, the few manners that Darcy had been able to instill in her over the years flying right out the window in favor of scarfing things down like an animal.

Darcy couldn’t exactly blame her. They hadn’t had a proper meal since being stuck in that hellhole,so getting to taste this home-cooked meal was like being gifted access to a Michelin star meal. Between the two of them, they ate nearly the entire pot. Jane didn’t eat much, and Thor wasn’t able to get much food but Darcy promised in her mind to make it up to the god.

As they clean up the dishes, Darcy heard a tiny yawn behind her.

Thor gave a sweet chuckle. “Are you tired little one?”

Instead of a verbal response,Darcy spun around just in time to see her give a little shrug. She chuckled.

“ _Puedes irte a la cama si quieres a Laura. Aquí es seguro, no es necesario vigilar._ (You can go to bed if you want Laura. It’s safe here, no need to keep watch.)” She said softly in Spanish.

Laura looked up eagerly at the sound of her voice. “ _¿Puedo dormir en tu cama? ¿Y puedes cerrar la puerta de esa manera especial, para que nadie más que tú pueda entrar?_ (Can I sleep in your bed? And can you lock the door in that special way, so nobody but you can get in?)” She nearly begged, but Darcy didn’t mind. She thanked whatever gods were listening for these moments where Laura let herself be vulnerable. Let herself ask for things and want things that had nothing to do with survival. She nodded and pulled the girl into a hug, ignoring the eyes on them in favor of comforting Laura.

She kept one arm wrapped around Laura while the other hand reached behind her and picked up a clean pan with the help of her power. Laura saw it out of the corner of her eye, and let a smile flicker on her face.

She ran to the largest bedroom and launched herself into the room closing the door behind her. Shortly after, Darcy pushed the pan to reshape itself into something akin to a safety measure and fastened it onto the door. A sweet little giggle—though muffled—could be heard under the door.

It took a few seconds for Darcy to be sure that Laura was at least attempting to settle in the large bed and once she had settled Darcy turned to Jane and Thor.

“Is Spanish her first language?” Jane asked curiously, not even a hint of judgment in her voice.

“Yeah. They uhm…they let her mom stay with her for the first year before they…took her away. Her first word was _leche_ —milk.” Darcy smiled fondly at the memory of Laura’s first words, but her smile was twinged with that familiar sense of pain. 

"Her mother…so you're not—

“—oh god no, no no no. I didn’t give birth to Laura. When they took me, they took me with the intention of brainwashing me so I could raise what was essentially an army of baby mutant soldiers. They got half where there, but their patience ran thin and they shipped some of the kids off to various facility’s in an attempt at expansion.”

“So…are you saying there are other children in other facilities? That what happened to you is happening in other places to other people.” Jane asked cautiously like she wasn't sure she wanted the answer. Darcy could understand. Surely, it was a hard pill to swallow, that the pictures she'd seen—because there was no doubt in her mind by the haunted look in Jane’s eye that she’d seen the ‘crime scene’ photo and pieced together the information she hadn’t explicitly been told—were more than likely the fates of several children around the country, potentially around the globe.

“Yeah…I didn’t get a chance to figure out where exactly, since they put me under right around the time they decided to do it. But I took a few files—namely mine and Laura’s—and hopefully, we can piece togethersome information and…solve the problem.”

“Is that your first goal? To exterminate the facilities and save the people in captivity.” Thor asked. He’d cleared the rest of the dishes and was in the process of cleaning them like the gentleman he was, but at the tone of the conversation, he stopped his chores and paid close attention.

“I…I guess so. I hadn’t thought too far ahead I’ll be honest. I just…wanted us to survive. Now that we’re pretty set, the next logical step would be to go after them.” Darcy said.

“Do you want to go after them?” Jane said, her voice still painfully quiet as if she was trying to ensure Laura didn’t hear them.

“That’s not gonna work. She can still hear us. It’s apart of her mutation. Unless we leave this room and go down the hall she’ll hear. It's fine. She’s…asked me about getting revenge a few times. So, she’ll be happy to hear us talk about this…To answer your question yes I do. They need to be disbanded and stopped once and for all. I want them to be gone so I can have some semblance of peace.”

“That is understandable. Just know that the Avengers are available to assist you whenever you need it. They know a little bit about you from what I’ve said, and they’re willing to be of assistance when needed if that's what you’d like.”

Darcy exhaled sharply and gave a small chuckle. “I’ll have to give you official confirmation tomorrow big guy. I’ll admit I’m tired. Do you guys wanna do lunch tomorrow maybe?”

“I have a lecture to give online tomorrow afternoon, but I’m free after that. Early dinner?”

“Yeah. Thor?”

He gave a simple nod, and pressed a kiss to Darcy’s forehead. “That sounds brilliant Lady Darcy. I look forward to it.”

They spent a few minutes cleaning up the rest of the dishes and dinner supplies, as well as gathering Jane’s luggage. It was moved right beside the door before the trio looked at each other and seemingly understood that there was no way they’d be separating tonight.

Thor took the couch, and Jane took the guest bedroom. Darcy was out like a light much sooner than she’d anticipated, due to the pain in her body and the emotional exhaustion she was still acclimating to. She climbed into the bed beside Laura, thanking God that the kid seemed to be fitfully sleeping.

She slipped the tiny hand into her, keeping a finger loose to caress the knuckles where her claws forced themselves from. Laura melted into the familiar touch and rolled over to cuddle up closer to Darcy. They both fell asleep soon enough, blissfully unaware of Jane’s silent tears and Thor’s watchful eye on the front door.

xxx

The next morning, Darcy woke up quite early. She was not unused to being awake with the sun, but she was unused to waking up alone. Laura wasn’t far, she could feel it. So after dressing in the plain hand me downs (and making a mental note to look on her new phone for the Stark Industries clothing department. These hand me downs would only go so far) she followed the low hum of her power and found Laura in the living room.

Thor was awake as well, and it seemed he had gone out for provisions. He was flipping pancakes under Laura’s watchful eye, but when Darcy stepped out of the room and closed the door, both of their attentions turned to her.

“Morning Darcy,” Laura uttered with a small smile.

“Morning kiddo. How’d you sleep?” Darcy asked, making her way over and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“Good. Thor’s making more pancakes. I didn’t think I’d want anymore, but he’s adding chocolate so I’ll at least try them.” Laura explained, earning a chuckle from both Thor and Darcy.

“Well, trying something is a good start. You need help, Thor?”

“I am nearly done now, Lady Darcy. Sit and I will plate these for you. Would you like eggs as well? Bacon?”

He plated their breakfast carefully, if a bit sloppily, but the food tasted absolutely amazing. Apparently, Jane was at the Compound, speaking with Tony Stark about something or another so she wouldn’t be joining them. When breakfast was done, Thor cleared his throat and looked over at Darcy.

“There is a gym downstairs. I have heard many good things about it.”

10 years ago, she never would have imagined being excited to go to the gym. She hadn’t had much of a choice in that little warehouse, as a version of the gym was included in her training regiment and it had been far from pleasant, but now the prospect of honing her skills on her terms was exciting.

“I might have to check that out this morning. I’ve been feeling a little antsy, so working that out will be nice. Laura—are you coming withme?”

Laura sat for a second, pondering her response. Darcy wholeheartedly expected the girl to stick to her side like glue,but to her surprise, the girl shook her head.“Thor said he would show me how to work the television. I want to be able to flip the channels the way _I_ want to. Is that..ok?”

“Of course! I’ll be downstairs, but I won’t leave the building. You know I’ll know where you are in the building so you don’t have to worry ok?”

“Ok.”

xxx

The gym was large but not overwhelmingly so, thank god. It wasn’t empty, but Darcy couldn’t exactly tell how many people were inside. There was a strong presence of metal surrounding one person in particular, but she couldn’t tell how much of it was the equipment or some sort of enhancement on their part.

She entered cautiously, looking around for the person whose presence was confusing her so immensely.

He didn’t look up at the sound of her footsteps, but he did tense. Darcy didn’t recognize him, but despite his terrifyingly muscular frame he seemed to not be a threat, so she went about her business.

First up was the treadmill. She needed to keep up her stamina in the event this whole Avengers honorary guest thing didn’t work out. She started with a few easy reps of 10-second sprints and 20-second easy jogging. It was an…interesting experience to be here and actually enjoy the process. Years of reluctant training had tainted her view of this type of work, but this…easy push was nice.

Eventually, she moved on to the weights and had the urge to simply lift them with her power. She needed to build up her arm strength, so after the initial hand motion to move them closer to her, she worked.

Darcy stayed in the gym much longer than she’d anticipated, and during that entire time, Mr. Tall Dark and Mysterious was across the gym doing his workout. Towards the end of it, Darcy changed a look over at him.

He was so focused on his weight lifting rep, that he didn’t notice her lingering gaze. His hair was pulled back, and it was long and luscious from what she could tell. He wore a long sleeve dark blue shirt, but as he lifted his arms above his head to place the dumbbell in its rightful place she saw a sliver of metal on his wrist. A metal arm.

She remembered that arm. He was there when she was rescued. Though at the time, it hadn’t felt much like a rescue. Darcy could understand their thought process now since they’d seen the carnage both Darcy and Laura had left behind.

He looked up just as Darcy opened her mouth to speak. She froze but built up the nerve when he didn’t openly glare at her.

“Darcy, right?” He questioned gently. His voice was low and warm, it settled Darcy’s nerves right away.

“Yeah, that’s me. Laura’s upstairs with Thor..sorry if she almost killed you.”

He chuckled and stood. He was taller than her, but not in a way that made her uncomfortable, more so protected. And the width of his chest was causing Darcy to _feel_ things she hadn’t accessed in nearly ten years.

“Laura—that’s that little spit fire’s name. Nice to know. Thor’s been keeping us updated on your condition, and I’m glad to hear Stark offered you a place here. It’s a nice place, and he’s a really nice guy.”

“Is he the one that built that arm for you? It’s gorgeous.” Darcy questioned, her curiosity getting the better of her. She’d always been connected to machines, but this arm was the most advanced thing she’d seen in a long time and she was beyond intrigued.

“Uh, kind of. T’Challa— Black Panther, you haven’t met him yet he’s busy—he’s got a younger sister. She made this for me, then Stark keep up the maintenance for me since I can’t fly back and forth to Wakanda all the time. It hurts my old bones to be up in the air. I was made to be firmly placed on the ground.”

“I used to think that too. Until this curse taught me I could fly and I tried to avoid staying on the ground as much as I could.”

“You can fly?” He asked incredulously. She wasn’t expecting that reaction, since he worked with so many different people who could fly, Thor being one of them.

“Yeah. I mean I guess it’s kind of considered hovering more so, but I can control the electromagnetic fields around my body and propel myself into the air and maintain height. I didn’t get a chance to do it often but I… I want to practice some more…it was fun.” She got sheepish at the end, as she remembered exactly who she was talking to. She didn’t know anything about this man, didn’t even know his name. She only knew that he worked with Thor. But, the sweet smile on his face was encouraging.

“You should talk to Wanda. I think she could help you with that more than I could. She’s…off-putting when you first get to know her, but she’s a good egg. She lives on the 4th floor.”

“So do I…maybe I’ll run into her at some point….I never caught your name by the way.”

“Bucky, Bucky Barnes. I’m on the 1st floor, room 12so if you need anything stop by ok? You and the little squirt.”

  
Darcy chuckled at the term for Laura but nodded. “Sure enough Mr. Barnes. I’m gonna head up to make sure Laura hasn’t scared Thor off yet. Have a good day ok?”

“You too Doll…You too.”

xxx

The ride upstairs was plagued with thoughts of one Bucky Barnes. His name sounded so familiar that it was a tiny bit unsettling, but for the life of her, Darcy couldn’t place exactly where she’d heard it.He had such a gentle way about him, but from what she could tell he was as dangerous as they come. And yet, she felt not an ounce of fear when near him.

As a matter of fact, she felt safer than ever near him and craved to be near him as soon as possible. She just wanted to…sit next to him and talk to him more because he seemed to be such an interesting man. But that desire was something she couldn’t afford to indulge in right now. She had too much to worry about.

It didn’t take long to get back to the apartment. When she returned, Laura was still on the couch, but she was wrapped up in a burrito shape inside a fluffy blanket. Thor was beside her, his arm draped around the back of the couch in a protective display, and a blanket on his lap. He turned around slowly to greet Darcy and gave a smile.

“Come join us Lady Darcy! We are watching Anastasia.”

“The Disney movie?!” He nodded. “I fucking love Anastasia. But I can't watch it without snacks. Do we have popcorn?” She asked. Just as Thor nodded and pointed to the cabinet nearest the microwave, there was a knock on the door. Darcy huffed but moved to answer it regardless. It could be Jane or even Bucky. Maybe even Mr. Stark. Not answering would prove to be more troublesome than actually answering.

She opened the door and was greeted with the face of a nervous young woman. She had long nearly auburn hair, She gave a wide smile, and held out some type of dessert that was in her hands.

“Hi—I’m your neighbor Wanda. I’m sorry I putyour child to sleep with my magic I was trying to protect my friends.” She said in one long syllable. She took in a breath at the confused look on Darcy’s face and cleared her throat. “I’m sorry I—-I’m very nervous. I don’t usually do this but Bucky suggested I come to speak with you. I don’t think you saw me face to face, but I was the person who ensured your child didn’t attack anyone after you were put under sedation. My name’s Wanda—Wanda Maximoff.”

Darcy chuckled at the nervous behavior, and gave a small salute before moving the cake out of Wanda’s hands—because it was on a metal cake stand thank God—and setting it on the table behind her. She saw the intrigued look on Wanda’s face but didn’t comment.

When the cake was firmly on the table, Darcy held out her hand for a shake. “I’m Darcy. Darcy Lewis. Thanks for the cake. We’re…watching Anastasia…You want to join?”

Wanda’s eyes went wide at the invitation. “I’ve never seen that movie but...I would like to watch it yes.”

Darcy opened the door slightly wider and motioned for the woman to come in. She figured they were around the same age, and if Wanda was anything like her she was just as nervous as Darcy was about this entire situation. And the only way to alleviate the nerves was to just…take a leap of faith.

“We have a guest you guys if you don’t mind. Thor, I think you’ll recognize this lovely lady. Laura, you might as well, but she comes in peace.”

They both turned around at the same time, curious looks on their faces. Thor’s eyes lit up, while Laura scowled.

“Shield Mate Wanda! How pleasant to see you, come sit.”

“Hello, Thor. Hello—“ She hesitated as she addressed Laura.

“Laura. Laura Kinney.” Darcy filled in.

“—Laura. I’m sorry we met the first time under….odd circumstances but I’m not here to make you upset. I just…wanted to say hi.”

Laura glared but didn’t say anything.

They sat in silence and watched the movie with only a few chuckles and hums to the music. They ended up watching a few other Disney classics as they devoured the cake Wanda brought. It was delicious. A Sokovian delicacy apparently, An almond, coffee, cherry cake that was to kill for.

Eventually, Wanda left, with a warm thank you and an unspoken invitation to return. Jane returned and dinner was started. Tonight was spaghetti night and Thor was in charge. Halfway through making sauce from scratch, Darcy’s phone went off for the first time.

She answered quickly when the name Tony Stark (with a bunch of emojis of course) popped up. She slipped into the bedroom for some privacy.

“Darcy? Can you hear me?”

“Yeah Stark, I can hear you. The spaghetti’s almost done, so what’s up?”

“I ran a DNA test on you and Laura when you first got here. The results came back so…I was calling to see if you wanted the results right now or later.”

“I…” Darcy was unsure exactly of what she wanted to do. She wanted to hear the results, but she was also afraid. Getting these results back would start the journey she’d waited nearly 10 years for. She’d be getting the answers she was looking for since the day she was taken. Could she wait? Could she wait until tomorrow to hear this? No. She couldn’t. “I’d like to know now. If that’s ok.”

“Yeah yeah yeah of course. Uh…Laura’s results came back for a match with a mutant hero named Logan code-name Wolverine. Not much is known about his legal name or age but we have contact with him so you can…meet if you’d like that. Her maternal match was for a woman named—“

“Sara Kinney. I know I…I was there when she gave birth to Laura…” Darcy slightly interrupted. She’d never forget Sara for as long as she lived because she gave Darcy the greatest gift she’d ever known and she was thankful every day for Laura, though she was devastated Sara was gone. But this Logan…did he have any idea about this? About Laura? The program?

Tony took in a tense breath. “Understood. Well, uh…your tests came back for 3 matches. Maternal, paternal, and…well a sibling match.”

“What?” Darcy questioned, her tone shaky.

“I..I don’t know how to say this so I’ll just spit it out. Your mom is your mom—Susan Lewis, formerly Dane. Your paternal match is a mutant vigilante named Erik Lehnsherr…code name Magneto. And your sister…her name’s Wanda Maximoff.”

Darcy couldn’t respond, the overwhelming emotions brewing up in her were too much. But her curiosity out won, as it often did. 

Tony continued slowly and carefully. “This is a lot to digest I know that and—”

“Give me their contact information.” Darcy nearly demanded.

“What?”

"I want to talk to them. My dad, Laura’s dad….I want to talk with them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna put a disclaimer now: I'm gonna switch up Wanda's back story. I always hated her back story and wanted something different for her because the one she has now makes me not want to like her. So we're changing it a bit, but only the parts that happened 'off-screen' aka before age of Ultron. The change will switch up her motives a bit but that'll add to the story for sure. She and Vision were still a thing because WandaVision has put me on their side for now. We'll delve more into her past now that we've met her and Bucky. 
> 
> Also, the DNA reveal has arrived. Tell me what you think of it 👀👀👀


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have had the most intense writer's block. It has been so hard to push past, but the most recent WandaVision both helped and made things worse. It's taking all my energy to keep my original plot and not turn this into a WandaVision fic lmao. Maybe when this one's done I'll do one. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

When Darcy hung up the phone, she simply stared at the black screen for a few moments. Silently, she beckoned it to give her the answers she so desperately needed at this moment. 

Her entire mind went blank. She couldn’t put together enough thoughts to verbalize what was swirling around her chest. But, after a few moments, she was able to piece together the blurred emotions. She could identify them as abnormally strong versions of fear, confusion, and anger. Once they were identified, she safely stored the information in the back of her mind for later.

Right now, she had too much to think about to consider what she was feeling.

Tony provided the information he had with no more hesitation, but the information itself was not a lot in the grand scheme of things. He’d given the address to the Xavier Institute for gifted youngsters.

Apparently, that was the place Laura’s father was both working for and living in. On the surface, the Xavier Institute for gifted youngsters, which meant that her father—-a man named Logan, no last name apparently—was posing as a teacher at the school. The physical education teacher to be exact.

Via an emailed PDF, the contact information of one Charles Xavier was also presented and Darcy saved it as soon as she received it. She didn’t utilize them right away.

Instead of lingering on the reasons why she was so hesitant, Darcy continued her evening as if she hadn’t just received life chaining information. Information that was bound to shake up the already shaky foundation of the life she was just barely beginning to lead.

There was so much to unpack that it was nearly impossibly overwhelming. She kept a cool head for the most part and went about the rest of dinner and the subsequent bonding afterward as best she could.

No-one noticed anything. If they did, they didn’t say anything about how hard she was trying to smile, keep up the calm, and maintain the collected persona she was most recently known for.

Laura sensed something was off but didn’t say a word. When it was time for her to go to bed, she went without complaint—but she pulled Darcy into a tight hug in the doorway of their (for now) shared bedroom.

“It’s gonna be ok Darcy.” She promised quietly, before moving into the room and closing the door softly behind her.

She’d probably heard enough of the phone call to gather what this sudden plunge in Darcy’s mood was all about. Despite her hard exterior,Laura was a sensitive and compassionate child. She was most likely waiting until the right moment to question her.

“Darcy? Are you alright?” Jane questioned from the table. She’d just cleared the dishes but paused to look over at her friend.

  
“I—Tony called. He..he knows who my Dad is. He found out who Laura’s dad is too…He sent me their info.” She admitted quietly, not quite up to the task of withholding information any longer. She was tired of fighting to remain “mysterious” and withdrawn. She’d play that game another day, with people she didn’t desperately want to hide her from the cruel realities of this world.

“Is that…a good thing? Do you want to speak with them? Get to know them maybe?” Thor asked, trying his best to keep things nonchalant but failing even with his back turned to them.

“I do, but it’s just…there’s a lot changing right now. I’m overwhelmed and I don’t know what to do about—well—anything….I have a sister now too…”

Jane’s eyebrow raised in a shocked gesture.She had known Darcy to be a single child for their entire friendship, so the mere thought of her having a sibling was jarring. “Who? Do we know her?” She asked.

Darcy snickered. “Yeah, you do ironically enough. She was here earlier. Wanda Maximoff….We have the same Dad apparently…”

Thor finally dropped his act of casual interest, and turned around all the way—a shock in his eyes. “That’s…wow. Ok…I think…your best bet will be to take this as slow as you’re comfortable. Take a few days to settle into the rhythm of living in this new place at the very least. Maybe call Tony tomorrow and discuss getting some help for you and Laura. You might be fine physically, but the toll of your time in captivity will be undeniable…Then once you’re more settled you can think about seeing your father.”

“What about Laura’s?”

“…that’s something you might have to discuss with the little one yourself. I have no idea her reaction or her desire to know theman who is partially responsible for her existence.”

  
“It…we never really got the chance to talk about it. They didn’t go about any of this in the any way that would make it easy to pinpoint a father. So we just didn’t think about it. He wasn’t a big factor outside of understanding that he’s the reason her powers manifested the way they have but…Fuck. I have to talk to Wanda at some point too. I just…fuck!” Her mind was running a mile a minute, so much so that she couldn’t even properly process the words coming out of her mouth.

Darcy let her head fall into her hands, and a few tears escaped from her eyes.

She was frustrated and overwhelmed beyond belief, and she knew that this was only the beginning. Navigating life post-capture was proving to be monumentally stressful. But when Thor placed his hand on the back of her neck and squeezed, and when Jane sat beside Darcy to wrap her arm around the younger woman’s shoulders she felt the tiniest bit better.

xxx

Within the next hour, Darcy went back to the gym.

Both Thor and Jane had been concerned by her desire to head back there so soon but hadn’t had it in them to stop her from indulging.

And Darcy didn’t have the strength to say no to the temptation, the promise of exerting yet another set of the insidious energy festering in the pits of her stomach. For the first time since Darcy ‘returned’, Jane went back to the Compound. She was supposed to be going down to Virginia over the next few days for work, so she needed to prepare with Tony and Dr. Bruce Banner to a presentation worthy of the time of some of America’s most intelligent minds. Thor was still staying over, though no-one had actually talked about the fact that he was essentially living with Darcy for the time being—not that she minded.

She liked having him there. He made her feel safe and seemed to bring out Laura’s more child-like side—maybe for the same reasons Darcy felt safe enough to actually indulge in some of her interests. This time around, she was prepared to spend more time in the gym. Maybe it was obscene to spend nearly 2 hours in there on top of the 2 that morning, but she didn’t care.

She did her best thinking while she was training.

Bucky was there when he arrived. He was on the treadmill, running slow laps to warm up most likely. When he noticed her, he gave a small wave and a shy smile. She waved back easily and tried hard to ignore the blush that developed on her cheeks when she noticed the sweat building on his arms. 

The workout was easy to lose herself in and before she knew it, Darcy was going through the motions. Working her stiff muscles into a nice and warm state, before heading into the more difficult work. She learned the hard way that if she didn’t keep her stamina up, using her powers would prove 10times more difficult.

There had been so many times where she’d been pushed past her limits in the early days of her training, and had found herself in serious pain, near-death in some of the most extreme cases. On the days when she’d been so exhausted, so terrified that one misstep would hurt Laura irreparably that she couldn’t focus on utilizing her power to its full potential, nor could she focus on anything other than the pain that was coursing through her body.

Just the memory of those particular ‘sessions’ and the punishments that followed was enough to make Darcy tremble.

Her mind was running rampant with terror, cold memories, and fearful thoughts. All of the nasty things she’d kept under wraps were swirling around her body in the worst possible way. Cold stripes of anxiety stuck to her bones but didn’t deter her from running faster. Faster, faster, and faster, like she was trying to run from the problems that seemed to be a step ahead of her always.

Tears fell down her face, but she didn’t notice them until they slid off her gaunt cheeks and down to her hands, clutched—white knuckle—to the grips of the treadmill. Darcy frantically pressed the button to stop the machine, and when it didn’t stop on its own she forced it to. It stopped with a loud noise that startled her badly, but Darcy couldn’t find it in herself to care.

She slid off the thing and just barely managed to collapse to the side of it before silent sobs began to overtake her. 

For the first time, in a long time, she was overwhelmed with such stark fear that every atom in her body seemed to be shaking. Her vision blurred. She forced her knees up against her chest and rested her head against them. Tears fell onto her thin leggings, and her hands came up to her ears as she blocked the sounds of her tormentor’s demands from her consciousness.

It wasn’t working.

Darcy was trapped. Again. This time, without Laura, without any hope of getting out or getting better. Without any semblance of guidance or purpose. She was just..scared.This was it. This was the place in which she’d die and she just had to accept it. After fighting for her freedom for so long the would be her end result.

All around her, as her breathing took on a dangerous pace, pieces of gym equipment and workout machines began to float. Guided by green light, every silent sob prompted such movement to the point that Bucky had to dodge the treadmill he’d previously been using.

From across the room, he’d seen her fall apart. Uncertainty kept him from trying to help her immediately until it was clear that no amount of time to 'gain composure’ would help. Slowly, Bucky crept closer. The room was bombarded by hordes of flying equipment, and it took him a while to find his way safely to her but when he did he did not hesitate.

Bucky fell to his knees beside Darcy and whispered her name. “Darcy…Are you ok? Can you hear me?” He asked.

She didn’t respond. Only flinched at the sound of someone else’s voice. So Bucky tried again. Even gentler this time.

“Darcy…doll. It’s me, Bucky. You’re safe. You’re in the gym of your new home. I bet your little girl is upstairs with Thor, ‘cause I know you wouldn’t leave her alone. Do you want me to take you to your room? What do you need darlin’?”

His soft questioning barely seemed to register, but when his metal hand came to touch her forearm something flickered behind her closed eyes. She pried them open to look at him.

Her eyes—her doe-like eyes—were bloodshot and so full of fear that it was almost painful to see. Another few tears slipped out, and slowly the objects around the room fell back into their respective spaces. Bucky let out a sigh of relief and spoke again, scooting a tiny bit closer.

“Hiya doll. Do you feel better?” He asked.

“I…I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to—

“—No need to apologize. This happens to the best of us. In our line of work and the lives we often lead that brings us this work, our thoughts can be overwhelming. At least you didn’t break the whole building. You only moved a few things around, that’s all.”

“Did I hurt you?” She whispered, her voice cracking.

“No doll, you didn’t hurt me. Come on, stand up for me. Let’s try to walk this off huh? You want me to take you to yourroom?”

“No! No…not yet. I… I need a few minutes.” Darcy admitted.

“Ok. Come on, let’s go for a walk.”

He helped her stand, and slowly but surely they made their way to the private exit on the other side of the gym, to walk the trail that wrapped around the building.

The entire time, Bucky kept a firm hand on Darcy.The touch was comforting and grounding in equal measure.He seemed to understand that his metal arm, with its both unfamiliar nature—this was Darcy’s first time encountering this weird vibranium adamantium mixture— coupled with its distinctness were the key keeping her present. After 2 passes around the short track, they stopped again at the side entrance to the gym.

It was pitch black and cloudy this night, but the feeling of the wind biting against her exposed arms was pleasant. She shivered the slightest bit, earning a concerned look from Bucky.

“I’m fine…Just chilly. I’m sorry about all the dramatics. It’s been a long time since something like that happened.” Darcy tried to explain, but Bucky brushed off her nonchalance in the kindest manner possible. 

“Don’t worry about it doll. At least all you did was scoot some things around. When I get into a panic attack, I have the bad habit of punching things or escaping into the city. It never ends well, but it’s become a less frequent occurrence luckily.”

“It’s good to know that all this….panic will subside to a certain degree. Today has just been a shitty day. But…the highlights have been all the times I got to see your ugly mug.” She joked, siphoning a smirk from the man.

He gave alittle chuckle too, and the movement caused his dark chocolate hair to fall in his face. He was bashful but beautiful in a way that made Darcy’s insides melt. She wanted to curl up in his embrace and pretend nothing else existed, but that was a recipe for disaster and she knew it.

And he seemed to sense her hesitance, her uncertainty as well. He cleared his throat, but the soft look in his eyes didn’t dissipate.

“You know…I don’t know much about what happened to you…but from what I saw I think you and I can agree on a lot of things. I was held captive by monsters for nearly 70 years, and only recently got out. My mind doesn’t remember much, but my body does. And it’s scary, trying to cope with all that while still doing my best to build a life for myself. You’ve got a kid to take care of on top of all that, so I know you've gotta be damn near out your mind…I’m here if you need to talk. Or if you need some company…” He offered quietly.

She let his words soak into her skin for a few moments, tears swelled at the corners of her eyes but she did not let them budge.

“Thank Bucky…I think I might be taking you up on that offer very soon.”

xxx

Like the gentleman he was, Bucky walked Darcy back to her room and saw to it that she was well enough to go about her evening relatively alone. Laura was in bed, and Thor was back at the dining room table pouring over some book. When he saw Bucky pop his head into the doorway, he gave a cheerful wave. The brunet replied in kind but did not linger.

With a sigh, Darcy sat beside Thor. She rested her head on his shoulder.

“I’m so tired Thor…I just got started, but I’m so tired.” She whispered, another hot tear falling down her face. This was getting ridiculous, the sheer amount of tears she was able to produce.

“I can imagine…I’m sorry things are not becoming any easier for you, but you are barely 2 weeks out of captivity. These things, these pop-ups of important information, and life-changing circumstances are going to exist for as long as your life continues. But, you are strong enough to push past all and make something out of all this….I know it’s hard.” He pulled her into his chest for a warm hug. For the first time since this whole mess, he was easily touching her. 

He was allowing himself to actually interact with her as if she was his friend, not some fragile creature that would shatter when he pressed too hard. And Darcy relished the touch.

Eventually, he carried her to bed. He placed a kiss on her forehead as he laid her down carefully, so very carefully so as not to disturb Laura.

It took a long time for her to fall into a fitful sleep.

The next morning, she called the phone number Tony had given her. She waited as long as she possibly could when Laura was out having breakfast with Thor and was too distracted to notice her sneak into the hallway. Someone picked up immediately, and the sound of their voice settled her nerves.

“Darcy Lewis I presume?”A deep male voice asked.

Darcy cleared her throat. “Uh, yes. That’s me. I…I’m calling to speak with Charles Xavier.”

“You are speaking with him. The number I gave Mister Stark was my personal number. I have a…vested interest you could say in ensuring you and your charge are safe. I am assuming you are calling for assistance in regards to her powers? Or are you inquiring about your own gifts?”

“I— I’m not calling to inquire about any of those things, though maybe I will in the near future.We were trained on our ‘gifts’ while in captivity so we have a working understanding. I was actually calling to see if I could speak with the man who is Laura’s father…I want her to know him if he’s willing.” It hadn’t occurred to her until now that he might not want to get to know Laura. Her heart jumped painfully at the thought of his rejection.

“Logan is a very close friend of mine. When Mr. Stark alerted us to the DNA match, he was stunned but eager to meet her. Whenever you are ready, this place is open to you….Whether that be for Logan or for contact information to Erik…the man theworld knows as Magneto.”

“You know him?” Darcy asked, astonished.

“I do.” Charles let out a small laugh. “He’s also a good friend of mine. I do know him, and—I will be frank Miss Lewis—-my powers allow me quite the insight into the mindset of those I speak with, that includes conversations over the telephone. I know you are hesitant but please know my invitation to his information will be open to you whenever you are ready. I am not one to tell lies or exaggerations I assure you.”

Darcy couldn’t find a way to respond, but luckily—and quite obviously—Charles seemed to understand. He gave a time for her and Laura to come to visit the school the next day and even offered to organize a ride but Darcy knew that once she told Tony of the plan he’d handle everything. And if she didn’t take Tony up on his previous offer to take care of her, she’d never hear the end of it.

The plans were solidified quickly, and the call ended much faster than Darcy had anticipated.

She hung up, slightly dumbstruck. Once again, staring down at the blank screen of her phone.

That had gone…very well. She didn’t know much about theX-men or Charles Xavier as a human being but this first encounter was promising.

When she returned to the room, Thor was doing his usual duties as breakfast maker and Laura was being a good assistant. She seemed to sense that Darcy had something important to say, so she paused her task and came to her.

“Are you going out tomorrow?”Laura asked.

“Uh, yeah. Mr. Stark found out who your Dad is. I thought it’d be nice to meet him and maybe a few of his friends. Isthat ok with you?”

Laura took a moment to really think about her answer but gave a nod soon enough. “Yes, that’s fine. Can we get food on the way to wherever we are going? Thor cooks nice but I want to try new things. I saw something on the TV earlier, something called a Big Mac. I want to try it.”

“Ican make that happen,” Darcy assured, making a mental note to speak with Tony about routes to the school that included McDonald’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time we head to meet a few familiar faces as well as new ones. Thanks for reading.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have officially been charmed by WandaVision and now will be adding Wanda into the story way more than I planned. Her backstory will still change, but seeing more of her when she's not being an Ultron-creating teen is helping me appreciate her character again. I hope you enjoy!

The morning of their visit to the Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, Darcy was freaking the fuck out.

It had been years, nearly a decade, since she’d panicked over what to wear. It hadn’t mattered in the warehouse, and it had mattered only the slightest bit more when she was working with Jane. But those days were gone, and now what she wore and what she looked like shouldn’t matter. Right?

Apparently not. She woke up extra early to pick a suitable outfit. She wanted to make a good impression on the staff of Xavier’s School. But, nothing felt right. Everything at her disposal—which was a mixture of hand-me-downs from the Black Widow, Captain Marvel, and other thrift store finds—was so far from what made her feel comforted that it was frustrating, but there was nothing she could do about it.

So, Darcy tried to take a walk outside of the Complex that ended up being more of a pace until she was gracefully interrupted by the last person she wanted to see right now.

Wanda looked both amused and worried. She took a slow step forward and gave an awkward wave. “Sorry to interrupt, it’s just…I was going to go grocery shopping and as I was passing I….well, your mind is very loud.” She said the words as if she was sorry for something, and Darcy got the impression that people had shunned her or blamed her for the power she possessed. It wasn’t her fault, though it was it no doubt creepy as hell to a certain extent.

“You can hear it? My thoughts?” Darcy questioned, slight concern budding up in her stomach. Did Wanda know? Did she hold it against Darcy, her hesitance to talk about their blood connection?

“Kind of. It’s more like the feedback from a broken television. A loud ringing of sorts that I almost always hear, but I’ve learned to ignore. It’s harder when it’s people I know, but I don’t hear specifics unless I actively reach out for them. And I don’t—-I don’t do that unless I’m in a combat situation.” She assured Darcy, tugging the sleeves of her burgundy hoodie in a comforting motion.

“That’s…super cool. You’re a lot more powerful than I thought you were.” Darcy admitted quietly.

“With great power comes great responsibility, unfortunately. I’ve been given these gifts and I…I learn something new about them nearly every day.” Wanda admitted with a chuckle.

“Same here. I had my powers all my life, but after the Warehouse, they just got…so much more powerful. It’s hard some days, but it’s worth it. Or it will be….” She paused, weighing whether or not to let Wanda in on her pals for the day. They were becoming friends, no matter the new information that had just been revealed, and it was a friendly thing to do to ask for help right? “

I’m going to meet Laura’s father today, and…I don’t know what to wear.” Darcy admitted, her words rushing out but proving comprehensible luckily.

Wanda’s eyes brightened for a moment. She was briefly hesitant to speak, but she let herself be vulnerable and make the suggestion that was on theta of her tongue. “I know a place near here. It’s small, but it’s got nice things. Do you want to go with me?”

“Yeah…I’d love that.” Darcy let herself smile. “ I think Laura’d like that too, if that’s ok?”

“Totally, yeah! My car is parked out front. I’ll pull it up to the entrance and meet you both there.” Wanda said.

“Perfect…See you in a few.”

They both waited a moment too long to say goodbye because the warm and fuzzy feeling that was blooming was too hard to let go of. But Darcy ran back up to her floor, resisting the urge to just part the metal structure and propel herself directly into her room. She made it up to the room without letting her excitement overtake her. When presented with their shopping trip Laura was not as apprehensive as Darcy thought she’d be. She almost raced Darcy down to the lobby, and when she spotted the car that was no doubt Wanda’s, her eyes lit up.

“Is that her?” Laura asked. Darcy nodded.

“I think so kid, hop in the back.” She opened the door with a flick of her right hand, wincing as she realized how possibly inappropriate it was to use her powers on someone else’s property. She slipped inside the car with a sheepish expression and an apology on the tip of her tongue.

Wanda gave a little giggle. She seemed genuinely tickled by Darcy’s actions, and intrigued by the unfamiliar power she displayed. “I’m glad you feel comfortable using your power here. You’ve got a more useful one, so I can’t fault you for it. Feel free to fix this hunk of junk if you feel any problems.” She said with a smile, before leaning back and giving Laura a smile.

It was large, and quite obviously a side effect of her excitement for this outing. Her tone was soft as she spoke to the young girl. “Hi Laura, it’s nice to see you again. Are you ready to grab some new clothes before your big day?”

  
“I am. But, are we gonna steal these clothes? I don’t think we have any money. Do we Darcy?” She asked innocently.

“We don’t kid. At least not accessible to us at this very moment. Mr. Stark was nice enough to set us up with a card. It’s on my phone, but it still counts…I think.” She hadn’t actually thought about whether or not the little virtual card Tony gave her would work outside of Avengers Sanctioned places. Luckily, Wanda set her worries to rest.

“It does,” Wanda assured her. “I use it all the time…I feel terrible when I use it because I was so awful to him when we first met but he’s still been very gracious,” Wanda said, her tone taking on a sad tone before she pushed it away.

“I met him for the first time a few days ago and he seems like a great man. A little eccentric, but gracious and nice. I was surprised at how fast he pulled me into the fold. He even offered to commandeer a car for us to use for our trip today.”

“I’m not surprised. I know how he regards close relationships and I know he cares for Thor. Ibet he’d lend you one of the fancy cars that drives itself.”

“I hope not. I hate those things, they scare me half to death.” Wanda chuckled at Darcy’s disgusted response.

They held a constant but easy-going conversation for the 10 minutes it took to reach the little shop. It was just as small as Darcy had expected it to be based on the description, but the clothes they kept in stock were perfect. Most of the pieces were hand-made, and the overall feel of the shop hit so close to home that Darcy felt tears prickle at her eyes.

Wanda looked worried at her reaction. “Do you hate it that much? We can go somewhere else if it’s—“

“—no. It’s perfect…seriously I just… haven’t been able to pick my own clothes in a long time. Seeing things that I actually like, and having the ability to take them home isa little overwhelming, I won’t lie.” She said. She wiped a stray tear from her cheek. Wanda let out an understanding noise and pressed her hand to Darcy’s back.

“I understand. It’s overwhelming, having to pick things after not having the privilege to for so long. But I grocery shop every Sunday. If you want, we can just get the things you want to wear to the event you have today, and we’ll get things for general life later?”

Darcy let out a sigh of relief. “Yeah..that sounds really good.”

They looked around for a few minutes with the help of the owners—an elderly couple from a rural European Country Darcy hadn’t heard the name of—before Laura was convinced that she wanted to try the changing room for the first time in her life. She was enamored with the idea of being able to try the clothes before buying them so she was certain she liked them and managed to convince Darcy to let her try two things on before they left.

When she entered the little room to try on the overalls she found, Wanda turned to Darcy, her expression solemn.

“Tony told me about the test…He told me that we are siblings.” She said, her voice taking on a more husky tone as she held back emotion.

Darcy let out a small gasp and tried not to look as scared as she felt. “I—I didn’t want to tell you until I was sure I knew what to do. I’m sorry—

“There’s no need to apologize. I am not angry at this revelation. I’m relieved if I’m honest because I’m glad I’m not alone anymore. I was surprised to say the least to learn that I was not the biological child of the man who raised me, but it makes sense. Neither of my parents displayed any mutations, so knowing now that my father was a mutant explains my gifts but… It’s just…” She took in a deep breath and turned even further to face Darcy. They locked eyes, and Darcy could see the tear budding in Wanda’s eyes.

“I need you to understand that I might come off as very hesitant at first. I don’t want to be, but I know it's a possibility because I…we have—had—a brother. Pietro. He was my twin. He died and losing him nearly tore me apart. I was alone in this world and then I wasn’t and then I was again and now…I have been put through the wringer too many times to remain unaffected. I want to get to know you. I want to build a relationship with you and share memories with you but it will..take some time for me. I hope you can understand that this will be a process…but the one I want to get to know you. It will just…take time.”

Darcy didn’t know how to respond for a moment. She took in the words Wanda said, and let her own feelings come forth. It wasn’t often that she expressed this side of herself,but it seemed necessary in this moment. “I understand more than you know…I’ve been alone for most of my life. My mom died when I was 8, and the woman who was going to adopt me when she passed died shortly after I met her. Ever since I’ve been as alone as someone can be, and it’s been hell…I got scared when Tony told me the results of the test. I don’t want anything more than just time to get to learn more about you. That’s all.”

  
“And that’s what I want as well. If we take this slow, and if are very careful we can build a bond that’s not..overwhelming. We’ve both lost much, and it will be hard to forget that.”

“But we can do it…I think.”

Wanda took her hand. Her own hands were so much more scarred than Darcy expected based on the glances she’d gotten but that fact was comforting all the same. She squeezed Wanda—her sister’s—hand just as Laura stepped out in an absolutely adorable set of overalls.

xxx

They bought it on the spot, along with few other things for them both.

And before anyone was ready it was time to leave. The car Tony called for them would be at the complex soon enough, and Darcy wanted enough time to get herself ready physically and emotionally for the day ahead. Wanda was quiet on the way back, but there was a content smile on her face as she drove that spoke of how well their little conversation went.

When they pulled up to the complex, Wanda didn’t follow them up immediately. She cleared her throat as Darcy dipped her head back into the car through the open window. “I won’t be able to come with you today, I hope that’s alright. I have a prior engagement but I’ll see you soon. Maybe we can do lunch tomorrow? And if you want, you can call me after your meeting with Charles, tell me how it went.” She said hesitantly. Darcy gave her a smile, recognizing how hard it must have been for her to reach out in this way, and offer more than a way for them to communicate.

“Lunch sounds great. You wanna meet in the Lobby tomorrow around 2?”

“Yes, that’s perfect. Here’s my number in case things change.” Wanda offered, and they quickly exchanged numbers, before Darcy’s own phone went off, reminding her that the car would be in the next 30 minutes. Sheepishly, she waved Wanda goodbye though she couldn’t resist the urge to do something quickly before the woman pulled out of the driveway fully.

Darcy took in a deep breath and focused on the car. She thought back to the books she’d been forced to read, the different models and makes of various cars, both new and old. It was like a Rolodex of information in her mind. Unwanted, but useful nonetheless despite how much she wanted to think otherwise.

She found the closest one to Wanda’s and with various twists, turns, and motions of her hand fixed the issues that were most likely to become bigger problems later. Then, as she drove farther away Darcy fixed the more superficial issues until Wanda was out of range. With a proud smile, Darcy turned around and took Laura’s hand to guide her up to their room.

Thor was waiting for them because he’d volunteered to accompany them at first, but at Darcy’s insistence that they would be fine—he admitted shamefully that he was afraid to let them out of his sight or vicinity for more than a few minutes. Darcy agreed to let him along for the ride after hearing his admission. She let him come along not out of guilt or pity but simply understanding.

As much as wanted to believe that she was ready to go without knowing he was around almost every corner, she knew the truth was that she was pushing too soon. Going all the way to this school would be a challenge she would face if necessary, but not happily. So, it was settling that she would come with them and help Darcy ask the questions she needed answered, whilst also keeping Laura feeling safe and protected from this intensely new environment.

He stood up to greet them, a relieved smile on his face. “Did you get the things you needed?”

“We did. We won’t be long now, only a few minutes. See you in a bit.”

She headed upstairs to get changed, and the second she put her bags down on the bed her heart began to race again.

They were really doing this. They were really about to meet Laura’s father, and get information about Darcy—and inadvertently Wanda’s—father in the process. She knew better than to think that this would lead to anything other than more her learning more information than she was ready to process, but it was time. Avoiding this any further wouldn’t do her any favors.

Laura set to wear a cute little denim jacket she was obsessed with, and jeans while Darcy threw on an oversized dark grey cardigan, a lighter grey sweater and dark skinny jeans. She felt as comfortable as she looked, and that was the most important thing. No makeup—because what was the point. No amount of makeup would cover up the scars or the near-constant exhaustion that plagued her features.

When she’d talked herself into it enough, they both headed down the stairs. The car was waiting and they shuffled inside. The ride would be about an hour and a half, so they had plenty of time to think and try not to talk too much.

They succeeded until the car pulled up to the school.

“It’s really big.” Laura said, her brows scrunching up as she tried to take in as much of the place as she could. It was bright out, but from what Darcy could see there were kids and teens all around the grounds in uniform, enjoying the weather. They looked happy and well taken care of, so that was a good sign surely.

The gate opened for them, and the driver led them smoothly up to the entrance of the main building. At the door, a bald man in a suit and wheelchair sat, alongside a tall red-haired woman, a short, gruff-looking man, and a woman with the most beautiful dark skin and white hair.

“I think that’s our welcome party,” Thor said. He turned to speak with the driver. “Thank you, we’ll give youa call when we’re ready to head back to the Compound.”

“Sounds good. Have agood time Mr. Odinson, Miss Lewis, Miss Kinney.” He tilted his hat to them and gave a small smile.

Darcy took in a deep breath, steeling herself to prepare before climbing out of the car.

Laura was on her heels, reaching for her hand. The poor kid was shaking. Darcy paused halfway up the walkway and turned to her. Her eyes were wide with fear, though she was hiding it well. She’d been hiding her fear well until now, and Darcy was equal parts proud of her poker face but equally concerned that she felt the need to hide her true feelings. That wasn’t something healthy children did.

“Are you scared love?” She asked quietly. Laura couldn’t even respond verbally, she only gave a nod. “It’s ok to be scared. I’m scared too. We can be scared together, and it’s not like that’s something we’re not used to. Right? We’re just here to meet them. Meet him. If you don’t like him or any of them we don’t ever have to come here again. Ok?”

Laura nodded again, but her fear was still very much present. She knew better than to expect the fear to go away so soon because her own fear was a near-constant presence in her life. She didn’t want Laura to feel so scared, but at least this fear was something manageable. Unlike the uncontrollable fear that was associated with the unknown timing of their meeting the people responsible for their capture.

All that aside, Laura didn’t let go of her hand but seemed to breathe easier.

Professor Charles Xavier was the one to greet them first. He rolled forward and gave a bright smile. “Good afternoon, it’s lovely to meet you both in person. I know we have met over the phone but I'd still like to introduce myself properly. I am Professor Charles Xavier, the man who runs this fine facility. The man behind me is Logan…Howlett legally but he prefers simplyLogan. This—“ He points to the red-haired woman. She looks to be a few years older than Darcy, though she wasn’t quite sure considering the impact mutation had on the human body more often than not. “is Dr. Jean Grey. And this is Ororo Munroe.”

“It’s nice to meet you both. We’ve been looking forward to meeting you very much.” Jean said, her smile soft. She was looking at Laura with a curious gaze, and as she seemed to understand something her smile grew even softer.

“If you’d like to come in, I have set up a nice lunch for us in my office.”

“That sounds great, I’m starving,” Darcy replied, trying to ignore the curious looks that were being thrown Thor’s way. “This is my friend Thor. He’s been with us since the beginning of all this...I hope it’s ok that he’s here.”

“Of course it is. It is just an honor of high proportion to meet a god not to mention one of the original Avengers.” Dr. Grey admitted.

Thor chuckled. “As flattered as I am, I will say that I am only here as Thor Odinson, send of Darcy Lewis’s and protector of little Laura. I came to support them, and because I am hesitant to let them out of my sight in all honesty. I can tell you all more about it and them once we get some food in us. The McDonald’s burgers were not nearly enough to satisfy our appetites.”

Logan gave a chortle. “You can say that again Bub. I learned the hard way that most fast food places only make me hungrier. Mutated metabolism and all that.” He said, his voice so much lower and rough than what Darcy expected though she found comfort in it.

Laura seemed to enjoy it too and seemed to enjoy his anecdote as well. As they walked inside, there was a renewed sense of confidence in her gait that comforted Darcy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time we'll get to see more interaction between Darcy, Laura, and the rest of the x-Men but I wanted it to be longer and it didn't feel right dragging it out at the end of this chapter. I can't wait, thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> I have no beta, so all comments, questions, critiques, and suggestions are not only welcome but extremely encouraged.


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